/ 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


Sw 


LIBRARY 

-NXr~ 

UNIVERSI7Y  OP 
CA     rORN 


EARTH 

FENCES       A 

UBRARr 


GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY 


OF 


MANHATTAN  OR  NEW  YORK  ISLAND, 

TOGETHER  WITH 

A    MAP    OF    THE    ISLAND, 

AND  A 

SUITE  OF  SECTIONS,  TABLES  AND  COLUMNS, 

FOR 

THE   STUDY   OF   GEOLOGY, 


PARTICULARLY  ADAPTED  FOR 


THE  AMERICAN  STUDENT. 


BY    ISSACHAR    COZZENS,    JR., 

LIBRARIAN   OF  THE  LYCEUM  OF  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  NEW   YORK,  CORRESPONDING 

MEMBER  OF  THE  NATIONAL  INSTITUTION  FOR  THE  PROMOTION 

OF    SCIENCE    AT     WASHINGTON, 

&C,,  &C.,  &C. 


NEW    YORK: 
W.  E.  DEAN,  PRINTER  &  PUBLISHER,  2  ANN  ST. 

1843. 


ENTERED 
According  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1843,  by 

ISSACHAR    COZZENS,    JR., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern 

District  of  New  York. 


an?- 


TO 

DR.    J.   AUGUSTINE    SMITH, 

PRESIDENT   OK   THE    COLLEGE   OF   PHYSICIANS    AND   SURGEONS,    NEW   YORK. 

DEAR  SIR  : 

Knowing  you  have  taken  a  greater  interest  in  the  pro- 
motion and  study  of  Geology  than  any  other  person  in  the 
city  of  New  York  :  and  as  your  late  lectures  have  proved 
your  high  attainments  in  the  science,  I  beg  leave  to  dedi- 
cate to  you  this  my  humble  contribution. 

I  am  dear  Sir, 

Your  friend 

THE  AUTHOR. 

New  York,  January,  1843. 


7355 


PREFACE. 


WHEN  I  first  undertook  to  make  Geological 
Sections,  Maps,  &c.,  it  was  for  my  own  study  and 
amusement,  and  I  had  no  thought  of  publishing  my 
productions  ;  but  as  I  found  most  of  the  elemen- 
tary works  on  the  subject,  to  be  mere  collections 
of  hard  names  and  foreign  references,  and  conse- 
quently not  likely  to  be  looked  on  by  the  Ameri- 
can student,  but  as  a  task,  I  thought  I  could  show 
something  more  agreeable  nearer  home,  and  by 
adding  historical  facts,  anecdotes  and  reminiscen- 
ces of  the  city,  I  might  induce  some  to  read  and 
become  interested,  in  the  greatest  of  all  sciences ; 
I  therefore  enlarged  my  work,  and  now,  by  the 
advice  of  my  friends,  I  lay  it  before  the  public, 
hoping,  it  may  at  least  serve  as  a  stepping  stone  to 
the  young  Geologist. 


a 

DEFINITION    AND    USES 


OF 


GEOLOGY. 


Definition  of  Geology. — Geology  is  the  study  of 
the  rocks,  and  all  earthy  and  mineral  properties, 
that  form  the  crust  of  the  globe,  which  man  and 
his  cotemporaries  now  inhabit ;  of  all  the  apparent, 
past  changes  it  has  undergone  by  volcanoes,  floods, 
earthquakes,  and  other  lesser  causes,  such  as  heat 
and  cold,  the  wear  and  tear  of  its  surface,  by  rains 
or  any  thing  else,  which  alters,  or  occasions  a  dis- 
placement of  any  of  its  materials. 

Uses  of  Geology. — The  knowledge  of  Geology 
seems  to  be  requisite  in  all  states  and  pursuits  of 
life.  The  artisan  and  the  mechanic,  are  benefited 
by  the  mineral  products  of  the  earth  ;  without  Iron 
alone,  (the  rusty  king  of  all  metals,)  man  could  not 
exist  in  a  civilized  state,  for,  from  the  weighty 
hammer  and  the  delicate  needle  comes  most  of  the 
power,  that  man  possesses  in  the  mechanical  arts. 
The  agriculturist  is  assisted  by  a  knowledge  of  the 
rocks,  which  compose  the  base  of  the  material  of 


8  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

the  soil  which  he  is  cultivating — practical  men 
have  often  found  out  that  soil*  which  is  most  con- 
genial to  the  plants  they  intend  to  raise,  but  with 
the  knowledge  of  Geology,  their  strength  would 
be  supported,  and  their  practice  made  more  perfect. 
The  soil  which  produces  in  the  greatest  abund- 
ance, wheat,  (the  staff  of  life,)  appears  to  lie  be- 
yond the  Alleghany  Mountains  :  in  the  state  of  New 
York  it  is  underlaid  by  what  is  now  called  the  "  Si- 
lurian system  of  rocks :"  these  rocks  consist  of 
Limestone  and  Sandstone,  and  shaley  clay,  impreg- 
nated with  lime,  and  some  Gypsum,  and  are  great 
beds  of  shells,  which  appear,  as  if  they  were  once  at 
the  bottom  of  some  ocean — the  soil  lying  on  the  top 
of  these  rocks,  is  the  most  prolific  to  the  farmer, 
in  its  products  of  grain  and  grass. 

Even  to  the  well-digger,  a  certain  knowledge  of 
the  dip  and  make  of  the  rock  is  requisite,  that  he 
may  know  how  deep  he  must  descend,  and  whether 
water  can  be  obtained,  and  if  attainable  at  all,  at 
what  spot.  I  have  known  well-diggers  to  pass 

*  On  the  warm,  sandy  soil  of  south  New  Jersey  and  Long  Island,  you 
can  raise  the  sweet  potatoes,  (Convolvulus  Batata,)  although  this  plant, 
grows  more  luxuriantly  in  more  southern  latitudes.  I  have  known  these 
potatoes  to  grow  from  12  to  16  inches  long  on  the  sandy  soil  of  New  York 
Island,  on  the  farm  of  J.  M.  Bradhurst,  Esq.,  9  miles  north  from  the  City 
Hall,  on  the  Kingsbridge  road,  while  as  far  south  as  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington, in  a  clayey  soil,  they  did  not  grow  much  longer  than  one's  finger. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  9 

through  some  rocks  upwards  of  100  feet,  and  not 
find  water  after  all  that  vast  expense,  when,  if  they 
had  gone  from  1  to  500  yards  from  the  spot  where 
they  commenced,  they  would  surely  have  got  a 
good  supply.  It  is  my  opinion,  that  it  is  almost  an 
absurdity  to  commence  digging  or  boring,  below 
the  top  of  any  of  the  primitive  rocks,  to  obtain 
water  of  any  sufficient  quantity,  for  wherever  I 
have  known  excavations  made  in  these  rocks,  the 
water  which  filled  the  cavities  had  always  penetra- 
ted or  wept  in,  between  the  Diluvium  at  top  and 
the  main  rock,  whether  it  was  Granite,  Gneiss  or 
any  of  those  which  the  older  Geologists  designa- 
ted as  primitive ;  and  yet  there  is  a  small  chance 
that  water  might  be  obtained  through  some  un- 
known hollow  fissure,  but  these  cavities  appear 
very  rarely  in  the  older  rocks.  To  the  miner,  as 
it  gives  him  the  dip  and  the  strike  of  rocks,  and 
may  show  him  when  the  mine  will  be  flooded,  the 
knowledge  of  this  science,  is  of  the  first  impor- 
tance, whether  it  is  intended  to  mine  for  coal,  the 
ores  of  metals,  or  even  in  quarrying  stone.  Many 
more  instances  might  be  adduced,  to  show  the  use- 
fulness of  Geology ;  but  as  it  expands  the  mind, 
being  a  matter  of  fact  study,  this  alone,  is  suffi- 
cient to  recommend  it  more  generally. 


DESCRIPTION 

OF 

NEW  YORK  OR  MANHATTAN  ISLAND. 


Plate  1,  Fig.    1. 

This  island  is  about  13  miles  long,  in  a  straight 
line,  from  the  point  of  the  Battery  to  Kingsbridge  ; 
but  by  the  old  road,  with  all  its  windings,  it  is  15 
miles.  It  consists  of  eight  different  series  or  for- 
mations of  rock  as  follows  : 

1st  Granite. — (See  Map  and  Section,  plate  lifig. 
1  4*  2,  marked  1.)  This  begins  to  show  itself  at 
28th  Street,  a  little  east  of  the  8th  A  venue,  and  runs 
in  an  interrupted  line  to  the  North  river  at  32nd 
Street,  from  thence,  it  is  seen  between  the  10th 
Avenue  and  river,  and  parallel  with  the  river,  to 
60th  Street ;  it  then  crops  out  again  at  86th  Street, 
between  the  "  Harlem  Railroad  Tunnel"  and  the 
"  Receiving  Reservoir"  of  the  Croton  Water 
Works :  in  levelling  east  22nd  Street,  near,  and 
south  of  the  "  Bellevue  Alms  House,"  it  was  expos- 
ed in  two  places  in  a  pyramidal  form,  the  top  of 
which  was  cellular,  and  had  a  spongy  appearance, 


12 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 


in  the  cells  were  found  small  crystals  of  Quartz, 
Feldspar  and  Prismatic  Mica  ;  the  Gneiss  lying 
superincumbent,  with  its  dip  varying  from  30°  to  45°. 

2nd  Sienite. — (See  Map  and  Section,  plate  l,j%. 
1  4*  2,  marked  2.)  This  crops  out  at  the  north  edge 
of  the  Serpentine  :  it  may  possibly  be  a  large 
boulder  of  Greenstone,  but  if  it  proves  so,  it  is 
the  largest  on  the  island  ;  it  is  buried  within  a  few 
feet  of  its  top,  which  presents  a  considerable 
surface  ;  it  contains  more  Quartz  than  any  of  the 
Greenstone  of  the  palisades  which  I  have  seen, 
and  is  a  rock  almost  entirely  composed  of  Quartz 
and  Hornblende. 

3d  Serpentine.  —  (See  Map  and  Section,  plate 
I,  fig.  1  <£  ^marked  6.)  Between  54th  and  62nd 
Streets,  the  shore  and  10th  Avenue,  there  are  4  or 
more  small  knolls,  of  black  Serpentine,  with  scales 
of  silvery  and  golden  Talc,  accompanied  by  a  vein, 
about  12  feet  wide  of  Anthophyllite.  This  vein  is 
in  a  vertical  position.  At  the  north  end  of  the 
Serpentine  proper,  this  Anthophyllite  shows  itself 
in  two  places,  in  place;  one,  on  the  rising 
ground,  and  near  the  Sienite,  the  other  at  high- 
water  mark  on  the  shore.  Actinolite  is  found  im- 
bedded in  the  Anthophyllite.  The  Serpentine 
locality  commences  where  the  Granite  ends.  At 
the  south  end,  there  is  a  vein  of  Carbonate  of  Lime. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  13 

This  Carbonate  of  Lime  has  many  small  specks  ot 
Serpentine  diffused  through  it,  and  forms  a  kind 
of  "  Verd  antique,"  which,  when  polished,  makes 
handsome  specimens.  At  this  locality  formerly, 
at  a  considerable  expense  and  labour,  many  exca- 
vations were  made  in  search  of  the  precious  me- 
tals ;  the  seekers  allowing  themselves  to  be  de- 
cieved  by  the  glitter  of  the  golden  and  silvery 
Talc,  through  the  Serpentine. 

4th  Gneiss. — (See  Map  and  Section,  plate  1,  Jig.  1 
<^*  2,  marked  3.)  This  rock  has  a  greater  extent, 
and  shows  itself  more  than  any  other  on  this 
island  ;  it  begins  at  the  Battery,  which  it  underlies, 
and  a  few  years  ago  showed  itself  by  an  out-crop 
on  one  of  the  walks,  but  it  has  been  levelled  and 

w 

buried,  in  making  improvements,  on  that  most 
delightful  of  spots  ;  it  was  to  be  seen  also  (until 
lately)  at  the  lower  end  of  east  14th  Street,  near 
the  river,  but  this  was  also  buried,  by  levelling 
that  part  of  the  city  :  in  8th  Street,  west  of  the  3d 
Avenue,  in  digging  a  well,  it  was  found  about  18 
feet  below  the  surface.  In  boring  for  fresh  water 
at  Disbrow's  Blacksmith's  shop  in  Bleecker  street, 
between  Broadway  and  Mercer  street,  after  passing 
through  some  500  feet  of  Gneiss,  the  Granite  was 
reached.  The  first  or  nearest  place  where  it  is 
now  to  be  seen,  is  at  22nd  Street,  near  the  8th 


14  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

Avenue  (as  is  shown  by  the  blue  on  the  map.) 
This  rock  begins,  on  the  south  side  of,  and  under- 
lies Governor's  Island,  which  is  its  most  southern 
extent,  passing  through  New  York  Island,  and 
running  through  the  greater  part  of  Westchester 
County  :  it  forms  the  rock,  at  the  straits  called 
Hell-gate,  and  even  at  that  place  (where  it  may 
be  traced  some  8  or  10  miles)  underlying  Long 
Island. 

The  Gneiss  of  New  York  Island  is  a  peculiar 
variety,  and  has  more  Mica  than  common,  and 
which  is  also  in  larger  plates  than  usual  for  this 
rock :  some  of  this  Gneiss,  might  with  propriety, 
be  called  coarse  Mica  Slate.  It  is  not  a  good 
building  stone,  on  account  of  its  splintering  pro- 
pensities, which  makes  it  dress  uneven  and  rough, 
if  it  is  struck  with  an  intent  to  make  a  cross  frac- 
ture, it  is  sure  to  split  the  wrong  way.  On  the 
10th  Avenue  near  60th  Street,  it  is  associated  with 
Hornblende  slate,  and  a  granular  Quartz  rock,  and 
at  the  "Railroad  Tunnel"  at  Yorkville,  with 
Hornblende.  On  the  East  River,  above  Bellevue, 
are  precipitous  Gneiss  rocks  from  20  to  30  feet 
high,  forming  bold  bluffs,  and  overhanging  the 
water ;  at  this  place,  it  is  sometimes,  charged  with 
Sulphuret  of  Iron  in  a  state  of  decay,  as  may  be 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  15 

seen  at  Hell-gate  ferry.  The  dip  of  this  rock 
varies  from  the  extreme  of  horizontal  to  vertical. 

5th  Hornblende  Slate.— (See  plate  I,  fig.  I  $2. 
marked  4.)  This  rock,  is  associated  with  the 
Gneiss  in  many  parts  of  the  island ;  at  Spuyten- 
duyvel  bluff,  at  the  north  end  of  the  island,  a  large 
range  is  seen,  which  has  been  opened  as  a  quarry. 
At  Manhattanville,  as  you  go  north  from  the  village, 
there  is  also  a  large  bluff  of  this  rock.  The  struc- 
ture of  this  rock  is  lammellar,  with  black  flat  and 
long  crystals  of  Hornblende,  and  grains  of  Quartz 
disseminated  through  it. 

6th  Quartz  Rock. — (See plate  I,  fig*  1  $  2,  mark- 
ed 5.)  There  are  on  the  10th  Avenue  near  60th 
Street,  veins  of  various  thickness  of  gray,  granular 
Quartz,  which,  when  broken  out  in  hand  specimens, 
is  so  friable,  as  to  crumble  into  sand  ;  this  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  Gneiss  and  Hornblende  slate,  in  a 
ledge  of  rock  east  of  the  Serpentine. 

7th  Primitive  Limestone  (See  plate  l,j%.  1  <£ 
2,  marked  7.)  of  Kingsbridge  is  well  known  ;  it 
is  a  Dolomite,*  and  has  all  the  varieties  of  white, 
gray  and  light  blue,  granular,  coarse  marble;  it 
begins  at  the  south  end  of  Mr.  Dyckman's  farm, 

*  This  Dolomite  I  examined  some  16  years  ago,  and  found  it  to  contain 
about  28.  per  cent  of  Carbonate  Magnesia,  from  which  I  manufactured 
good  Epsom  Salts  (Sulphate  of  Magnesia.) 


16  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

and  runs  through  the  middle  of  the  Island  to  Spuy- 
tenduyvel  creek ;  the  same  rock  runs  through 
Westchester  County,  and  is  seen  on  the  other 
side  of  Kingsbridge,  and  thence  along  the  river 
toward  Yonkers,  especially,  at  Mr.  Delafield's 
farm,  where  there  is  an  extensive  quarry,  at  East 
and  Westchester,*  at  Greenburgh,  at  Singsing,and 
at  Verplanck's  point :  a  coarse  marble  for  building 
is  worked  at  Singsing  by  the  prisoners.  A  quarry 
was  opened  at  Kingsbridge,  some  years  ago,  which 
proved  unprofitable.  Lime  has  been  burnt  from 
this  Limestone,  but  as  it  will  not  slack  quickly,  but 
first  crumbles  up  in  small  grains,  it  has  been  discon- 
tinued for  fine  work.t 

There  was  a  few  years  ago,  at  the  south  end  of 
this  formation,  on  a  by-road,  leading  from  the 
main  road,  to  the  North  river,  a  spring  or  nat- 
ural fountain  of  pure  cold  delightful  water, 
which  gushed  from  this  rock,  and  emptied  in  a 
natural  trough  of  the  same  rock,  within  2  feet  of 
the  level  of  the  road  ;  this  trough  was  large  enough 

*  The  Merchants'  Exchange  in  Wall  street  which  was  burnt  down  in 
the  great  fire  of  1835,  was  built  of  the  Westchester  Marble,  (Limestone,) 
the  chafts  of  the  columns  were  at  least  24  feet  in  height  and  were  of  one 
piece.  The  new  Exchange  is  built  of  Sienite  called  duincy  Granite. 

t  When  time  is  allowed,  for  lime  made  from  this  marble  to  slack  per- 
fectly, it  answers  well  for  strong  work,  and  it  has  also,  been  extensively 
used  for  agricultural  purposes. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY, 


17 


for  animals  to  drink  out  of;  but  alas  !  in  an  evil 
hour,  it  was  conceived  by  the  owner  of  the  land 
to  quarry  the  stone  at  this  very  spot,  and  all  the 
curiosity,  with  the  beauty,  is  now  gone.  The 
quarrying  at  this  place  had  laid  bare  some  hundred 
feet  of  surface,  on  which  was  seen  what  are  called 
"wave-marks,"*  and  which  resemble  the  sand 
ripples  of  the  sea-shore,  after  the  tide  has  fallen, 
at  the  time  of  a  calm.  These  wave-marks  were  no 
doubt  caused  by  the  waters  passing  through  a 
seam,  which  lay  in  a  position  nearly  horizontal, 
and  forming  an  inclined  table,  over  which  the 
water  passes  to  its  outlet,  the  spring  :  hence  not 
all  the  "  ripple-marks"  mentioned  by  geologists, 
and  which  are  supposed  by  them  to  be  caused  by 
the  ocean's  ebb,  are  made  in  that  way,  but  may 
have  been  formed  by  water  (as  in  this  case)  passing 
through  seams  and  fissures  of  rocks,  particularly 
the  Limestone  rocks,  which  water  has  the  power 
of  dissolving.' 

Another  curious  fact,  although  not  strictly  geo- 
logical, may  be  mentioned  here,  as  it  caused  some 
wonder  about  40  years  ago.  There  were  then  three 

*  I  visited  this  locality  three  weeks  since,  and  found  still  some  remains 
of  the  "  ripples"  on  the  rock,  but  they  have  been  mostly  obliterated  by  the 
crumbling  structure  of  the  rock,  and  the  trampling  of  the  cattle  which 
go  to  drink  out  of  a  pool  which  yet  remains  on  the  lower  edge  of  the 
quarry. 


18 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 


foot-marks  (two  left  feet  and  a  right  one)  on  the 
smooth  surface  of  the  Limestone,  on  the  north 
end  of  this  formation  near  the  road.  These  foot- 
marks appeared  to  me  to  have  been  made  thus : 
first,  the  person,  whoever  he  was,  who  made  them, 
had  slept  in  the  mud,  and  then  walked  up  the  rock ; 
the  mud  from  his  foot  gave  an  outline,  and  then 
some  sharp  instrument  was  used  to  check  and 
trace  that  outline ;  an  Indian  stone  axe,  or  a  steel 
one  may  have  been  used,  for  these  marks  did  not 
seem  to  be  of  much  antiquity  :  they  were  shown 
as  a  great  curiosity  under  the  denomination  of 
Indian  tracks,  and  were  destroyed  by  the  quarry- 
men,  upwards  of  30  years  ago.  Judging  from 
this,  and  similar  wonders  which  I  have  seen  and 
heard  of,  I  must  infer  that  the  "  foot-marks,"  &c., 
&c.,  of  the  would-be  geologists,  are  not  exactly 
what  they  are  cracked  up  to  be.  This  formation* 
rests  on  Granite.  For  list  of  minerals  imbedded 
in  it,  see  catalogue. 

8th  Diluvium. — (See  plate  1,  Jig.  1  and  2, 
marked  8.)  This  formation  covers  almost  all 
the  island  ;  but  under  the  city,  and  at  the  lower  or 


*  Boulders  of  this  Limestone  are  seen  at  Newtown,  (Long  Island,)  which 
is  about  10  miles  south  of  Kingsbridge — a  piece  of  one,  on  the  road  to 
Williamsburgh,  would  weigh  at  least  500  pounds  ;  it  has  been  broken  to 
make  stone  wall. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 


,. 


distributing  Croton  Reservoir,  in  42nd  Street,  and 
at  Harlem  flats,  and  on  the  Kingsbridge  road,  near 
the  12  mile  stone,  it  is  of  the  greatest  depth : 
(if  is  coloured  on  the  map  as  a  reddish-brown.) 
In  this  wash,  as  it  is  called  by  some,  are 
found  types  of  all  the  rocks  of  the  valley  of 
the  Hudson.  As  seen  when  taken  in  mass,  its  co- 
lour are  a  mixture  of  yellow,  red,  gray,  and 
brown  ;  it  is  a  compound  of  boulders,  gravel,  sand 
and  silicious  clay.  In  its  structure  it  differs  ;  in 
some  places  it  is  a  fine  yellow  sand  lying  on  the 
top,  as  around  the  region  of  Broadway  and  8th 
Street,  (old  Sandy  Hill  Lane,)  and  on  part  of  Mr. 
Bradhurst's  farm,  and  on  the  Kingsbridge  road 
between  the  7th  and  8th  mile  stone.  Part  of  a  hill 
of  this  sand  may  still  be  seen  at  Mr.  Brevoorfs 
place,  at  10th  Street,  west  side  of  Broadway.  This 
kind  of  sand,*  whenever  seen,  always  lies  on  top. 
In  describing  the  hills  which  have  been  dug 
down,  I  shall  begin  with  the  ridge,t  which  com- 
menced at  Warren  Street,  ran  parallel  with  the 

*  This  same  kind  of  sand  forms  the  earthy  part  of  Bedlow's  Island, 
the  peninsula  of  Paulus  Hook,  (Jersey  City,)  Hoboken,  and  a  large  field 
near  Hackensack,  N.  J.,  and  also  large  areas  on  the  south  part  of  Long 
Island  ;  and  always  lies  on  the  top  of  the  coarser  Diluvium,  and  is  never 
more  than  four  or  five  feet  in  depth  from  the  top. 

t  On  a  hill  near  where  the  corner  of  Provost  and  Varick  Street  now 
is,  there  was  a  revolutionary  fort  still  standing  in  1T97,  in  which  some  of 
the  old  cannon  lay  dismounted. 


20  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

North  River,  and  ended  at  Mr.  Lispenard's  place, 
near  where  Canal  or  Laight  Street  now  is.  The 
sand,  gravel,  and  other  material  of  these  hills, 
were  not  so  coarse  and  so  varied  as  those  to  be 
described. 

In  the  same  line,  after  passing  Lispenard's  creek,* 
we  come  to  what  was  called  Richmond  Hill,  (or 
rather,  as  the  boys  50  years  ago  called  it,  "  The 
General's  Woods,")  which  was  30  feet  higher  than 
the  present  level  of  "  Tivoli  Garden."t  The  ma- 
terials of  this  hill  were  the  coarsest  of  all  the  hills 
on  the  North  River  ridge,  but  the  boulders  were 
not  so  large  as  those  at  Corker's  Hook. 

A  high  hill  was  dug  down  between  where  An- 
thony and  Canal  Streets  now  cross  Broadway.  In 
this  hill  were  all  the  varieties  of  this  formation  ;  its 
height  was  from  25  to  30  feet  above  the  present  level. 

On  this  hill,  near  where  Franklin  Street  now  is, 
on  the  east  side  of  Broadway,  stood  a  water  basin, 
built  before  the  Revolution,  for  supplying  the  city 
with  water.  A  large  well  was  dug  near  where 
White  Street  now  crosses  Elm  Street ;  this  well 

*  This  creek  commenced  at  the  Collect  pond  and  ran  through  Lispe- 
nard's meadows  to  the  North  River. 

t  This  house  stands  within  a  few  feet  of  the  spot  where  it  stood  50 
years  ago,  but  has  been  lowered  to  its  present  level;  around  this  old 
mansion  stood  oaks,  chestnuts,  and  other  aboriginal  trees  of  gigantic  size. 
I  remember  one  old  chestnut  tree  which  was  at  least  7  feet  in  diameter. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  21 

was  from  30  to  40  feet  span,  and  was  to  have  had 
a  steam  engine,  to  force  the  water  up  the  hill  into 
the  basin.  The  author  has  in  his  possession  three 
paper  bills,  issued  in  1775  and  1776,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  carrying  this  project  into  execution. 

Description  of  the  Bill — on  the  face. 


NEW  YORK  WATER  WORKS.  © 

4  [No.  1257.] 

$  rp  HIS   NOTE   shall  entitle  the  BEARER  to  the  Sum  of  Q 

EIGHT   SHILLINGS, 

g  current  Money  of  the  Colony  of  New-  York,  payable  on  D  EM  A  N  D,  by  ^ 
©  theMAYOR,  A  L  DE  RME  N,  and  C  OMM  O  N  A  LT  Y  of© 
Q  the  City  of  New-  York,  at  the  Office  of  Chamberlain  of  the  said  City,  § 
©  pursuantto  a  Vote  of  the  said  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Commonalty,  © 
®  of  this  Date.  Dated  the  Fifth  Day  of  March,  in  the  Year  of  our  § 
O  Lord  One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Seventy-six. 
By  Order  of  the  Corporation, 

ANDW.  GAUTIE,      & 


|         8s.  ,      H.  BRASHER. 


On  the  reverse  is  a  plate  of  an  old-fashioned 
steam  (?)  engine,  with  a  fountain  on  each  side  ; 
and  on  one  of  the  margins,  "  Eight  Shillings" — on 
the  other,  "  New  York,  printed  by  H.  Gaine." ' 
The  two  four-shilling  bills  are  dated  1775,  and  are 
signed  by  Wm.  Waddel  and  J.  H.  Cruger.  Tra- 
dition says  this  project  failed  in  consequence  of 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  which 
is  very  probable. 


22  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

On  the  west  side  of  Broadway,  and  nearly  op- 
posite to  the  water  basin,  stood  an  old  fort  (built 
of  earth)  which  had  been  used  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary War :  on  the  outside  of  this  fort,  on  the 
slope  of  the  hill,  were  buried  many  of  the  American 
prisoners  of  war  who  had  died  in  the  old  "  Sugar 
House"  in  Liberty  Street,  then  Crown  Street,  or  in 
"  The  North  Dutch  Church"  in  William  Street, 
both  of  which  were  used  as  prisons  by  the  British. 
These  bodies  were  buried  so  near  the  surface,  that 
by  the  slight  washing  of  the  hill  their  bones  were 
exposed ;  and  many  a  time,  when  a  boy,  have  I 
seen  their  remains  pulled  out  and  abused  by  my 
thoughtless  companions — as  late  as  1800. 

The  next  hill  to  be  described  was  the  highesfe 
and  steepest  on  the  south  end  of  this  island,  and 
was  called  ie  Bunker's  Hill  ;"*  it  stood  where  now 

*  They  commenced  levelling  this  hill  about  the  year  1802,  and  in  dig- 
ging down,  the  earth  was  removed  more  than  14  feet  lower  than  the  bot- 
tom of  the  well  ;  in  it  were  found  old  iron  hoops  and  other  relics  ;  among 
which  was  an  old  cannon,  (a  nine  pounder,)  which  I  saw  there  at 
the  time.  How  often  have  I,  when  a  boy,  stood  on  the  breast-work  of 
this  hill,  and  looked,  with  delight,  to  the  south,  over  that  beautiful 
sheet  of  water,  the  Kolck  (Collect,)  on  the  small  city,  with  its  few  spires 
and  domes.  Beyond  was  seen  the  bay,  with  the  hills  of  Staten  Island  still 
further  in  the  south  ;  then  taming  to  the  west,  the  "  Noble  Hudson,"  with 
the  Newark  Mountains  in  the  distance,  the  farm  houses  and  country 
seats  of  the  island,  and  that  stupendous  work  of  nature,  the  palisades, 
on  the  nortt,  and  on  the  east  the  high  ridge  of  that  fertile  plain,  Long 
Island,  "  all  covered  with  their  native  green." 


*    * 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 


23 


is  the  junction  of  Grand,  Orange,  and  Elm  Streets, 
and  where  now  stands  "  Centre  Market."  The 
Diluvium  of  this  hill  was  similar  to  the  rest  of  the 
hills  of  the  island.  It  was  a  steep,  and  somewhat 
pyramidal  hill,  about  100  feet  higher  than  the  pre- 
sent level  of  Grand  Street.  On  the  top  stood  an  old 
fort,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  a  well,  from  whence 
I  have  seen  water  drawn  as  late  as  1800,  and 
which,  no  doubt,  had  supplied  the  garrison  who 
quartered  there  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 
It  is  a  curious  fact,  that  after  the  earth  was  re- 
moved from  the  surrounding  hills,  and  from  around 
this  well,  the  bottom  of  it  was  left  dry ;  this  shows 
that  the  well  was  supplied  with  water  from  the  sur- 
face, and  that  surface  wet  by  rains. 

A  coarse  gravelly  range  of  hills*  lay  on  the 
west  side  of  Broadway,  north  from  Canal  Street, 
to  near  where  4th  Street  now  is.  In  this  range  were 
few  large  boulders.  It  was  composed  chiefly  of 
coarse  gravel  and  small  boulders  fit  for  paving 
stones. 


*  Most  of  these  hills  being  covered  with  a  small  growth  of  cedar,  and 
other  trees,  many  kinds  of  game  birds  were  found  in  great  plenty,  as  late 
as  1797,  as  near  the  then  city  as  Reade  Street  on  the  North  River,  and 
Rutgers'  Street  on  the  East  River,  such  as  Gluails.  (Perdix  Virginiana,  of 
Lin,)  Woodcock,  (Scolopax  Minor,  Gmel.,)  Snipe,  &e.,  &c.,  with  all  the 
smaller  tribes  of  the  neighbourhood  ;  and  in  the  salt  marshes,  and  on  the 
shore,  were  seen  all  the  varieties  of  the  water  birds. 


I 


24  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

The  hills  at  "Corker's  Hook"  were  dug  down 
between  the  years  1800  and  1830.  Some  of 
them,  at  the  east  of  Col.  Rutgers'  house,*  were 
nearly  80  feet  in  height ;  they  were  composed  of 
all  the  different  kinds  of  drift  wash,  &c.,  which 
are  found  on  this  island,  and  particularly  of  a  vast 
number  of  large  boulders,  laying  on,  and  next  to, 
each  other,  and  this  to  a  greater  degreethan  in 
any  other  place.  These  heights  have  been  lev- 
elled;  but  even  now,  in  many  parts  of  this  region, 
when  cellars  are  to  be  dug,  many  of  these  boul- 
ders appear,  and  when  broken  up,  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  stone  is  obtained  to  build  the  founda- 
tions. In  digging  down  these  hills,  and  breaking 
the  boulders,  many  handsome  minerals  and  fossS 
were  found,  which  I  shall  enumerate  in  the  cata- 
logue. Two  of  these  boulders  were  Anthophyl- 
lite,  one  of  which  was  18  feet  long,  9  or  10  feet 
high,  and  about  12  feet  broad ;  in  this  were  beau- 
tiful crystals  of  Actinolite.t  This  Anthophyllite 

*  The  country  seat  of  Col.  Henry  Rutgers  stood  where  now  stands  a 
new  building  (in  a  square)  occupied  by  his  nephew,  Col.  Crosby;  in  the 
rear  of  this,  towards  the  east,  on  the  highest  of  these  hills,  was  a  fort ; 
this  hill,  if  I  recollect  rightly,  was  more  than  60  feet  above  the  present 
level  of  Montgomery  Street.  There  was  also  a  fort  where  Division  and 
Pitt  Streets  join  Grand  Street,  on  a  hill  called  Mount  Pitt. 

t  Near  this  boulder  lay  another  large  one  of  Chlorite  slate,  which  was 
translucid,  showing  a  beautiful  green  light  through  its  thin  edges.  This 
boulder  cannot  be  referred  to  any  known  locality  in  this  neighbourhood. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  25 

had  the  same  character  as  that  of  60th  Street, 
mentioned  in  the  description  of  the  Serpentine 
locality.*  There  were  many  boulders  of  Granite, 
Gneiss  and  Greenstone,  as  large  as  the  two  above- 
mentioned.  The  place  where  the  young  miner- 
alogists used  to  roam  in  search  of  specimens,  is 
now  built  upon,  and  churches  and  houses  cover 
the  spot. 

At  42nd  Street,  on  Murray  Hill,  at  the  Distrib- 
uting Reservoir  of  the  Croton  Water  Works,  the 
Diluvium  is  a  tough  cement  of  clay,  gravel,  and 
boulders,  very  hard  to  dig.  In  digging  through 
42nd  Street,  the  pickaxe  had  to  be  used  for  every 
shovelful  of  this  clayey  cement  which  formed 
wnat  is  called,  a  hard-pan,  of  about  fourteen  or 
more  feet  in  thickness.  At  this  locality  there 
were  more  large  boulders  than  at  any  other,  if 
we  except  Corlaers'  Hook. 

The  Diluvium  of  Manhattanville  and  Harlem 
flats,  consists  of  gravel  and  pebbles,  with  boul- 
ders the  size  of  a  paving  stone,  and  a  few  spe- 
cimens of  Kingsbridge  marble,  but  no  Serpentine. 
There  is  on  "  the  flats,"  and  after  you  pass  the  Tun- 
nel, three  or  more  detached  spurs  of  the  Gneiss 


*  Boulders  of  Anthophyllite  and  Serpentine  are  strewed  all  over  this 
island,  and  Long  Island,  below  the  line  of  60th  Street. 

4 


I 


26 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 


rock,  of  some  elevation.  There  was  once  a  very 
large  boulder  of  "  Hudson  River  Slate"  on  Mr. 
Myers'  farm,  near  his  house,  this  was  one  of  the 
largest  pieces  of  this  rock,  which  has  been  seen 
south  of  the  Highlands,  it  was  long  since  broken 
up,  and  used  for  building  stone. 

At  an  old  tavern,  called  the  "  Cross  Keys,"  on 
the  Kingsbridge  road,  in  the  tavern-yard,  is  a 
detached  rock  of  Gneiss  cleft  in  two  pieces  lying 
side  by  side,  and  on  the  top  of  the  Gneiss  rock 
which  lies  in  place,  the  striae  of  this  .removed 
rock,  cross  at  right  angles,  the  rock  in  place 
below — it  is  as  much  as  thirty  feet  long,  the  two 
pieces  together,  being  about  nine  feet  broad  and 
ten  feet  high. 

In  the  valley,  between  Forts  Washington  and 
George,  on  the  Kingsbridge  road,  and  on  the  left 
side,  there  are  a  vast  number  of  detached  pieces 
of  Gneiss  rock,  which  have  evidently  been  pre- 
cipitated from  the  cliff  above,  which  forms  the  hill 
of  Fort  Washington.  The  largest  of  all  the  boul- 
ders on  the  island,  is  the  one  which  stood  on  a 
bare  Gneiss  rock  at  Depeyster's  place,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Kingsbridge  road,  where  it  is 
now  crossed  by  106th  Street,  and  near  the  six 
mile  stone.  There  was  also  a  boulder,  or  rath- 
er large  piece  of  rock,  (which  had  been  detached, 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 


27 


and  slipped  from  its  natural  place,)  near  the  old 
post  road,  and  near  where  51st  Street  crosses  the 
3rd  Avenue ;  this  large  flat  piece  of  Gneiss,  lies 
supported  against  the  rock  of  which  it  once  formed 
the  top,  presenting  the  appearance  of  a  cavern', 
particularly  when  it  was  surrounded  by  trees  and 
undershrubs,  overgrown  and  entangled  with  briers, 
giving  it  a  deep  shade. 

Fresh  water  ponds.* — There  were  three  or  more 
fresh  water  ponds  on  this  island :  the  first  and  largest, 
was  called  the  Kolckt  (Collect)  by  the  worthy  Knick- 


*  In  these  ponds,  were  several  kinds  of  fish,  one  peculiar  to  fresh  water 
— viz.  (Labrus  Auritus,  of  Mitchill,)  or  fresh  water  sun-fish  ;  the  other 
species  were  common  to  both  fresh  and  salt  water.  The  common  eel  (An- 
guilla  Vulgaris,  of  Mitchill,)  three  varieties  of  Killifish,  (Esox  pisculen- 
tus,  of  Mitchill)  one  of  which,  I  do  not  recollect  having  seen  any  where 
else,  it  was  called  by  the  boys,  "  Yellow-bellied  Cobbler,"  on  account  of 
its  abdomen  being  of  a  golden  colour.  The  "  stickle  back"  (Gasterosteus 
quadracus,  of  Mitchill)  was  found  in  the  powder-house  pond,  but  did  not 
inhabit  "  the  Collect." 

t  This  pond,|when  frozen  over,  was  a  most  delightful  spot  for  skating, 
and  sliding,  to  which  all  the  boys  of  former  days  repaired,  some  hundred 
might  be  seen  amusing  themselves,  forgetting  in  the  ardour  of  play  the 
intense  cold  of  the  weather ;  but  woe  to  those  who  were  caught  there  on 
Sunday;  old  Delamater,  old  Thompson,  and  afterwards  old  Hays,  then 
a  young  man,  (the  Sunday  constables  of  that  time,)  gave  them  more  ter- 
ror, with  the  thoughts  of  Bridewell,  than  all  the  pleasure  was  worth. 
At  the  great  undertaking  of  filling  up  this  pond,  and  levelling  the  sur- 
rounding hills,  a  curious  fact  took  place  which  should  be  noticed  here- 
The  specific  gravity  of  the  sand  and  gravel  of  the  hill,  was  so  much 
greater  than  the  mud  and  sediment  of  the  pond,  that  it  pushed  up  in  its 
centre  large  islands  of  this  sediment,  exposing  a  soft  quagmire,  and  the 


28  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

erbockers.  This  pond  lay  under  that  part  of  the 
now  city,  which  is  Duane,  between  Cross  and 
Elm  Streets,  and  between  Elm  and  Orange  Streets, 
the  middle  of  which  is  now  called  Centre  Street, 
and  but  a  few  years  ago  called  Collect  Street. 
"  The  Hall  of  Justice,"  that  Egyptian  fabric,  vul- 

continual  throwing  in  of  the  heavy  materials,  raised  the  mud  in  some 
places  from  8  to  10  feet,  above  the  original  level  of  the  water,  this  mud 
became  somewhat  dry,  and  cracked  open  some  8  or  10  feet  deep,  falling 
over  the  heavy  material  and  exposing  what  may  be  supposed,  was  once 
the  under  part  and  lay  near  the  bottom  of  the  lake;  in  this  substance 
were  Hickory,  Butternut,  acorns  and  seeds  of  all  the  surrounding  forest 
trees,  which  had  formerly  skirted  this  pond;  with  great  thickness  of 
leaves,  and  some  limbs  of  trees,  and  other  black  vegetable  matter  resem- 
bling peat;  this  induced  the  corporation  of  the  city  to  employ  men  to 
make  what  the  Irish  call  hand  turf,  it  being  too  soft  to  cut  with  a  turf 
spade;  a  large  quantity  of  this  turf  was  dried  and  carried  to  the  alms- 
house  for  fuel,  but  it  had  a  peculiarity  not  dreamed  of,  and  which  could 
not  have  been  supposed  as  coming  from  the  bottom  of  a  fresh  water  pond, 
namely,  an  overcharge  of  marine  salt.  This  I  proved  by  burning  out 
the  vegetable  matter,  and  leeching  the  ashes,  (which  consisted  of  a  large 
porous  mass,  as  large  as  the  size  of  the  peat  acted  upon,)  and  concentra- 
ting the  lixivium  to  a  pelicle.  The  knowledge  of  this  analysis,  caused 
Dr.  Pascalis  to  say  that  this  small  lake,  had  formerly  been  a  natron  lake, 
similar  to  the  natron  lakes  of  Egypt.  The  salt  in  this  mixture  prevented 
the  turf  from  burning,  and,  of  course,  making  turf  from  the  bottom  of 
the  collect  was  discontinued.  It  was  about  the  year  1801  when  they 
commenced  filling  up  the  collect — the  first  earth  thrown  in  came  from 
the  excavations  then  making  for  the  cellar  and  foundation  of  the  "  City 
Hall,"  in  the  park.  In  this  pond,  where  now  Pearl  Street  is,  between 
Cross  and  Elm  Streets,  there  was  a  natural  island,  with  a  powder-house 
on  it,  which  gave  the  name  of  Magazine  Street  to  that  part  of  Pearl 
Street ;  and  at  the  corner  of  Anthony  and  .Collect  Streets,  was  a  point  of 
natural  ground. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  29 

garly  called  "  the  Tombs,"  stands  near  what  was 
once  the  middle  of  this  small  lake. 

The  second  pond  of  any  size  was  called  "  Pow- 
der-house pond,"  and  was  a  little  west  of  Kipp's 
Bay,  near  where  32nd  Street  crosses  the  4th  Av- 
enue. There  was  a  small  pond  on  the  Green- 
wich road,  now  Greenwich  Street,  near  where 
Provost  Street  crosses  it,  called  "  Higby's  pond," 
and  another  where  St.  John's  church  now  stands, 
in  the  rear  of  Mr.  Lispenard's  place,  called  the 
"  Cat-fish  pond,"  I  have  seen  cat-fish  (Silurus  cot- 
tus,  of  Mitchill,)  in  this  pond,  but  do  not  think 
they  originated  there. 

There  is  now,  on  the  Kingsbridge  road  about 
half  a  mile  north  of  Harsenville  another  pond,* 
at  this  pond  a  few  years  ago  the  bull-frog  (Rana 
Maxima,  of  Catesby,)  took  up  his  abode,  I  have 
never  seen  this  Batracian  on  any  other  part  of  the 
island :  a  brook  from  this  pond  runs  into  ano- 
ther pond,  between  the  road  and  the  Hudson 
River.  These  are  the  principal  ponds  on  the 
island. 

Swamps    and    Salt   Marshes. — Under  the    old 

*  Since  writing  the  above,  I  have  been  informed  by  Major  Leconle, 
that  these  two  ponds  were  artificially  made;  the  one  on  the  east  side  of 
the  road,  by  the  British,  during  the  Revolutionary  War ;  the  one  on  the 
west  side  by  the  proprietor  of  the  land  :  but  that  there  was  here  a  natu- 
ral stream  or  brook  I  have  no  doubt. 


30  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

part  of  the  city,  were  some  swamps  and  salt 
marshes,  the  first  to  be  mentioned  was  at  the 
lower  end  of  Broad  Street,  the  second  at  old  Fly 
Market,  now  the  lower  end  of  Maiden  Lane  ;*  the 
third,  the  swamp  of  Ferry  and  Jacob  Streets — of 
this  swamp  something  may  be  said.  There  was 

in  this  city,  in  1824,  a  Mr ,  who  fancied  and 

persuaded  himself  and  others,  that  good  and 
wholesome  water  in  great  plenty,  might  be  had 
by  tapping  the  earth  in  this  place  ;  so  at  it  they 
went,  and  a  great  deal  of  time  and  money  was 
spent  in  endeavouring  to  accomplish  this  object, 
but  it  so  happened,  they  did  not  know  (being 
neither  Geologists  nor  Philosophers)  that  all  our 
fresh  water  comes  from  the  clouds,  the  rain  falls 
on  the  earth  and  is  absorbed,  seeks  its  level, 
leeches  through  the  earth  and  carries  (if  any  in  its 
way)  all  the  salt,  filth,  and  stuff  it  is  capable  of 
dissolving.  As  the  tanners  and  curriers  of  the 
neighbourhood  were  very  anxious  to  have  good 
soft  water,  they  employed  this  man  to  bore.  He 
began  his  operation  in  Jacob  Street,  passed  through 


*  At  the  corner  of  Maiden  Lane  and  Gold  Street,  in  digging  to  lay  a 
foundation,  the  bottom  of  some  old  tan-vats  were  exposed,  with  the  tan 
in  them  in  a  good  state  of  preservation  ;  the  ground  on  the  top,  had  evi- 
dently been  made,  as  the  bottom  exhibited  all  the  features  of  an  ancient 
swamp  or  salt  marsh. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  31 

the  made  ground  on  top,  and  came  to  the  old 
swamp,  with  all  its  black  mud,  its  remains  of  peat, 
roots  of  trees  and  other  materials,  such  as  are 
known  to  be  in  these  places,  but  no  fresh  water, 
on  the  contrary,  it  was  hard  and  stinking.  What 
was  to  be  done  ?  after  spending  so  much  money  ! 
no  good  water !  no  good  water  !  "  Why  it  is  a 
mineral  spring,"  said  one  ;  "  It  is  a  mineral  spring," 
said  another,  "  The  Corporation  should  certainly 
purchase  it  for  the  public,"  cried  a  third ;  "  There's 
no  doubt  but  it  will  cure  all  diseases,  the  Corpora- 
tion should  certainly  purchase  it !"  a  petition  to 
this  effect  was  sent  in,  and  a  Committee  of  the 
Corporation  appointed  for  this  purpose.  The  com- 
mittee sent  to  Drs.  Torrey  and  Macneven,  and 

to  the  writer  of  this  through  Alderman  

requesting  an  analysis  of  the  water.  Drs.  Torrey 
and  Macneven  did  nothing  as  I  have  understood, 
I  examined  the  water,  and  gave  an  analysis  to  Al- 
derman   but  never  received  any^acknowl- 

edgement,  although  by  this  analysis  and  report,  the 
Corporation,  no  doubt,  saved  some  thousands  of 
dollars,  which  the  owners  and  projectors  of  the 
spring  asked.  A  regular  fountain  was  set  up  at 
the  spring,  and  six  cents  per  glass  was  charged  for 
this  corrupt  tanyard  swamp  water — one  glass 
which  I  drank  gave  me  a  cramp  in  the  stomach ;  I 


32  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORIC 

thought  at  the  time,  and  do  still,  that  the  proprie- 
tors of  the  concern  put  an  extra  quantity  of  salt  in 
the  well,  for  sometimes  the  water  was  salt  as  brine, 
while  at  others  it  was  only  brackish.  At  this 
"Spa,"  as  it  was  called  by  the  puffers  in  the  news 
papers,  a  large  number  of  people  were  collected  • 
all  the  credulous,  the  searchers  after  the  marvel- 
lous, were  there,  and  were  true  believers  in  its 
medicinal  effects.*  Another  swamp  lay  under 
that  part  of  the  city  where  Oak  Street  crosses 
Oliver — here,  it  was  said,  that  another  of  these 
medicinal  springs  was  discovered,  by  a  negro  but 
a  few  years  ago. 

The  next  swamp  and  largest  of  all,  was  called 
"  Lispenard's  meadows  ;"  one  arm  of  this  swamp 
began  near  to,  and  a  little  north  of,  Reade  Street, 
between  Church  Street,  and  the  range  of  hills 
before  described,  which  ran  parallel  with  the  Hud- 
son River.  The  middle  of  this  swamp,  ran  through 

*  It  seems  to  me  that  there  are  people  who  delight  in  being  hum- 
bugged, or  else  why  run  after  these  second  kind  of  Cotton  Mather  witch- 
crafts—Animal Magnetism,  Phrenology,  the  coming  of  the  Millenium 
in  1843,  Mormonism,  Homoeopathy,  &c.,  &c.,  (though  this  last  being  in 
small  doses,  is  not  so  difficult  to  swallow,)  all  these  have  their  firm  ad- 
mirers and  believers,  as  has  "  the  Mermaid,"  a  thing  made  of  a  Cod- 
fish's tail  and  an  Ape's  head,  and  its  body  stuffed  with  oakum.  It  does 
me  some  good  to  think  that  I  foiled  them  once — viz;  at  the  swamp 
spring,  and  that  Dr.  J.  Augustine  Smith,  in  his  "  Select  Discourses,"  has 
staggered  the  phrenologists. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  33 

that  part  of  the  city  on  which  West  Broadway  is 
now  built,  crossed  Canal  Street,  and  ended  where 
Spring  Street  now  intersects  Laurens  Street — 
from  east  to  west,  it  ranged  between  Howard  and 
Walker  Streets,  west  of  Orange  Street,  and  was 
bounded  on  the  south  by  the  Kolck  pond,  it 
covered  much  of  the  ground  on  each  side  of  Canal 
Street,  had  a  creek  in  its  centre,  whose  source 
was  the  aforesaid  Kolck  pond,  and  ran  under  the 
"  stone  bridge,"  into  the  Hudson,  where  the  foot 
of  Canal  Street  now  is.  Another  brook  came  in 
from  the  north  ;  these  streams,  met  in  the  middle 
of  the  swamp,  near  where  West  Broadway  and 
Laurens  Street  meet  Canal  Street — at  the  source 
of  the  northern  branch,  there  was  a  spring  of  fresh 
water,  which  gave  the  name  to  Spring  Street.  At 
"  spring  tides"  the  water  of  the  creek  was  often 
backed  up,  and  could  be  seen  running  up,  as  far 
as  the  stone  bridge,  which  stood  where  Canal 
Street  crosses  Broadway. 

The  "  Minetta  water"  which  gave  the  name  to 
that  little  crooked  lane,  Minetta  Street,  was  a  small 
brook,  the  head  of  which  lay  north  of  part  of  "  old 
Potters'  Field"  now  Washington  Parade  Ground, 
and  near  where  the  corner  of  6th  Street  and  5th 
Avenue  now  is.  In  1820,  there  was  still  a  small 
colony  of  muskrats,  bordering  this  creek.  The 


34  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

brook  passed  along  the  lower  end  of  Potters'  Field, 
and  formed  a  large  pond  called  Bollus's  pond, 
where  Downing  Street  now  is ;  the  low  swampy 
grounds  that  were  filled  up,  caused  this  pond, 
which  lay  a  little  north-west  of  Richmond  Hill. 

Salt  Meadow. — The  next  great  tract  of  land, 
which  has  been  altered  by  improvements,  is  "  Col. 
Marimus  Willet's  and  Stuyvesant  meadows,"  Col. 
Willet's  house  stood  a  little  north  of  Corlaer's 
hook  point;  at  the  first  lowland,  near  where  Riving- 
ton  and  Columbia  Streets  cross  each  other,  at  this 
poinjt,  the  salt  marsh  began,  and  ran  along  the  East 
River,  to  a  small  distance  beyond  what  was  called 
Brandt  Miihle  point,"  (Burnt  Mill  Point,)  from 
a  wind-mill  formerly  burnt  down  at  that  place.  It 
was  afterwards  called  Manhattan  Island,  and  now 
the  Dry  Dock.  This  was  once  a  famous  place  for 
the  credulous  to  go  money-digging,  for  it  was  said 
by  all  the  wags  of  those  days,  that  the  pirates 
Kidd  and  Blackbeard  had  buried  their  plundered 
treasures  here.  The  writer  has  seen  more  than 
20  large  holes  which  had  been  dug  in  this  little 
knoll.  About  25  years  ago,  the  spot  was  covered 
with  beautiful  native  oaks  and  other  trees,  and  on 
its  beach  I  used  to  catch  an  insect  called  the 
Cicindela.  These  meadows  were  nearly  a  mile 
long  on  the  shore,  and  more  than  half  a  mile  in 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  35 

width,  now  they  are  almost  all  filled  over  with  the 
earth  of  the  surrounding  hills,  and  built  upon. 

There  are  some  salt  meadows  yet  beyond  the 
six  mile  stone,  on  the  East  River,  which  are  some- 
what altered. 

At  the  foot  of  30th  Street,  near  the  Hudson 
River,  was  a  small  salt  marsh  now  all  covered  over 
with  earth  from  the  surrounding  hills.  There  is 
yet  a  salt  marsh,  which  has  had  no  improvements 
on  it,  but  the  filling  up  and  grading  of  the  10th 
Avenue,  this  is  on  the  North  River,  near  the  foot 
of  42nd  Street,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  "  Timber 
basin  :"  and  there  are  a  few  other  formations  of 
the  same  kind  near  Kingsbridge. 

There  were  many  small  streams  or  brooks  on 
the  Island,  but  none  of  importance,  if  we  except 
the  one  called  Harlem  creek,  which  runs  through 
the  salt  marsh,  at  the  six  mile  stone  ;  this  creek  has 
two  or  three  branches,  one  of  which  follows  along 
the  lowlands  to  near  Manhattanville,  where  some 
projectors  in  a  speculation  commenced  a  few 
years  since,  a  canal,  which  they  left  when  partly 
finished. 

In  digging  down  the  hills  of  this  Island,  to  fill 
up  the  swamps  and  low  grounds,  there  has  been  a 
fine  chance,  for  the  geologist  to  observe,  how  the 
materials  of  this  Diluvium  were  deposited  ;  in  some 


36  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

parts,  as  at  40th  Street,  near  the  Distibuting 
Reservoir,  all  the  pebbles,  sand,  gravel,  clay,  and 
boulders,  are  intimately  mixed,  and  it  has  the  same 
appearance  at  the  top,  as  at  15  or  20  feet,  below 
the  surface. 

At  Corker's  hook,  most  of  the  large  boulders 
lay  the  lowest,  but  yet  there  were  some  at  top :  in 
many  other  places,  the  boulders  were  near  the  top, 
gravel  next,  then  the  sharp-grained  sand,  usedrfor 
making  mortar ;  but  it  must  be  observed,  that 
almost  always,  if  there  was  any  sand,  it  was  found 
in  the  lowest  part  of  the  strata :  in  some  of  the 
hills,  there  would  be  from  five  to  ten  different  kinds 
of  strata,  composed  of  nearly  the  same  materials ; 
on  the  top,  yellow,  Silicious  clay  of  one  or  two  and 
sometimes  three  feet  in  thickness,  (which  appears  to 
be  an  Alluvium*)  then  much  gravel,  small  quartz 

*  Alluvium,  (a  member  of  the  Diluvium.)  There  was  on  this  Island, 
in  many  of  the  valleys  or  hollows,  a  fine  yellowish-brown,  Silicious  clay 
of  some  tenacity,  which  was  used  for  making  moulds  and  forms  by  the 
founders  of  Iron,  Brass,  &c.,  and  by  masons  for  making  a  coarse  cheap 
mortar  ;  the  localities  in  and  about  the  city,  are  all  dug  out  and  built 
upon — in  Broadway  opposite  Park  Place,  in  laying  the  Iron  pipes  for  the 
Croton  water,  one  of  these  clay  beds  was  come  to,  which  had  been  partly 
dug  out,  and  filled  in  with  rubbish,  and  which  I  saw  but  a  few  days  ago. 
On  the  Island  beyond  the  city,  in  the  valleys,  these  beds  are  still  to  be 
found.  If  there  is  any  formation,  that  can  be  called  Alluvial,  in  my 
opinion  it  is  formed  thus— an  earthy  matter,  is  carried  up^in  the  sap  of 
trees,  or  other  plants,  and  is  kept  in  an  organized  form,  until  the  tree 
has  lived  its  time,  when  the  tree  dies  and  decays,  all  the  matter  of  its 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  37 

sand,  with  some  large  boulders  the  size  of  a  paving 
stone,  (the  largest,  being  3  or  4  feet  thick)  then  a 
soft  brown  coloured  sand,  with  little  grit  and  con- 
siderable mica,  from  two  inches  to  sometimes  a  foot 
in  thickness  ;  then  a  clear  sharp-grained  coarse 
sand,  with  very  little  mica,  five  or  six  feet  thick ;  next 
a  gravel  of  small  pebbles,  two  or  three  inches  thick  ; 
then  a  sand,  similar  to  the  one  above,  but  not  so 
clean  and  sharp  ;  giving  the  bank  a  striped  ribbon- 
like  appearance,  of  gray,  brown  and  ochre  yellow  : 
these  different  layers  appear  to  have  been  deposited 
under  different  circumstances,  or  from  a  different 
influence,  or  at  different  times.  There  are  some  of 
these  hills,  which  have  twenty  varieties  of  deposit, 
each  deposit  having  its  peculiar  colour,  its  coarse- 
ness or  fineness,  its  material ;  and  then  again,  some 

* 

compound,  (if  we  except  its  earthy,)  is  in  time  dissipated,  the  ashes  of 
which,  in  the  form  of  earth  is  left,  and  is  washed  down  by  rains,  to  the 
low  grounds,  and  there  forms  beds,  if  the  locality  on  which  the  plant 
grows  is  Silicious,  this  Alluvial  clay  is  Silicious,  if  Calcareous,  the  clay 
will  be  Calcareous,  or  if  Aluminous,  it  will  partake  of  the  Aluminous 
quality,  and  so  on ;  when  these  vegetable  products  fall  in  swamps,  or 
other  wet  places,  and  are  not  shifted  by  mechanical  or  altered  by  chemical 
changes,  they  retain  their  skeleton  forms,  and  have  been  called  Infusoria 
by  some,  and  have  excited  much  wonder,  as  they  are  thought  to  be  of  ani- 
malcular  origin ;  it  is  not  to  be  supposed,  that  all  these  minute  skeleton 
forms  are  of  vegetable  origin,  some  may  be  of  animal,  but  when  we  take 
into  consideration,  the  vast  quantity  of  vegetable  matter,  that  the  earth  pro- 
duces, and  the  comparitively,  small  quantity  of  animalcular,  there  is 
some  reason  to  doubt,  that  all  the  beds  of  clayey  earth,  which  form  the 
bottom  of  ponds,  &c.,  are  of  animal  origin. 


38  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

of  these  deposits,  have  all  the  materials  of  every 
kind,  but  contain  no  carbonaceous  matter.  How 
all  these  formations  came  where  we  find  them,  and 
at  what  time,  and  by  what  means,  so  regularly 
irregular,  I  shall  not  attempt  a  conjecture  :  no  one 
believes  those,  who  pretend  to  make  it  out  by 
metaphysical  reasoning,  and  as  to  facts,  we  have 
so  few ;  we  know  that  it  is  here,  and  was  in  some 
place  else  once,  but  any  further,  is  a  grand  puzzle. 
Water. — The  water  of  the  Island  of  New  York, 
in  most  of  the  natural  springs  and  wells  was  good, 
and  is  so  now,  on  all  that  part  of  the  Island  above 
42nd  Street,  where  there  has  not  been  this  digging 
down  of  hills,  filling  up  of  swamps,  and  other  low 
grounds.  But  it  is  not  to  be  supposed,  the  element 
could  continue  pure  with  our  dense  population, 
and  where,  all  kinds  of  animal  and  vegetable  sub- 
stances, are  brought  for  food,  and  other  purposes  ; 
the  drainage  of  the  sinks  and  cispools,  carrying 
down  all  the  salts,  both  alkaline  and  earthy  in 
solution,  is  enough  to  contaminate  the  city  wells 
in  a  very  few  years.  It  is  an  unpalatable  fact, 
that  the  draining  of  the  sinks,  forms  part  of  the 
water,  which  we  are  daily  using  and  have  been 
drinking  for  so  many  years.  I  have  always  been 
an  advocate  for  pure  water,  and  was  one  of  the 
first,  who  suggested  the  idea  of  bringing  old  Croton 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 


39 


to  our  city,  and  now  after  a  lapse  of  some  30  years, 
I  rejoice  that  this  limpid  stream  is  led  to  our 
doors.  There  were  some  few  wells  and  springs 
on  the  Island,  which  were  somewhat  charged  with 
iron,  making  them  Chalybeate  ;  the  one  near 
where  24th  Street,  crosses  the  8th  Avenue,  is  so 
strong  with  iron,  that  it  could  not  be  used,  for  any 
useful  purpose,  neither  had  it  any  medicinal  quality. 
Two  of  these  springs  were  opened  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  Island,  beyond  the  8  mile  stone,  which 
were  also  abandoned,  having  no  medical  property. 


SECTION    OF    THE    PALISADES, 

West  Side  of  the  Hudson  River. 


In  describing  plate  second  we  will  begin  as  be- 
fore, with  the  lowest  rock. 

1st  Granite. — (See  plate  2,  fig.  1.)  This  rock 
if  present,  is  always  seen  the  lowest. 

The  Granite,  that  underlies  the  shore  of  New 
Jersey,  was  reached,  in  boring  some  few  years 
ago,  for  fresh  water,  on  the  Hoboken  meadows  ;* 
the  spot  selected  for  this  project,  was  about  half 
way  between  the  ferry  wharf  and  the  foot  of 
Bergen  hill.  The  operators  after  passing  through 
the  mud,  sand,  and  other  deposits  from  the  river, 
which  once  flowed  over  it,  came  to  the  Sandstone 
which  was  easily  passed  through,  and  then  to  a 
much  harder  rock,  which  dulled  and  destroyed 
the  points  of  their  augurs.  The  borings  which 

*  About  20  years  ago,  these  meadows  were  dyked  in  to  keep  the  tide 
at  high  water,  from  flowing  over  them,  and  large  ditches  were  dug  in 
many  directions,  over  the  meadows  as  drains,  which  exposed  a  number 
of  recent  shells,  partly  fossilified.  These  shells  consisted  of  the  recent 
oyster  (Ostrea  Borealis)  Psammobia,  Mytilus,  Modiola,  &c.,  &c.  These 
shells  lay  about  4  or  5  feet  below  the  surface- 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  41 

were  first  brought  up,  were  when  dried,  a  dust  of 
gray  Sandstone.  After  passing  through  this  Sand- 
stone, and  just  before  they  stopped  operating,  they 
came  to  the  harder  rock,  the  borings  of  which 
contained  grains  of  Mica,  Quartz  and  Feldspar. 
The  two  borings  had  at  first  sight  a  similar  appear- 
ance, but  the  upper  had  no  Mica  in  its  compo- 
sition. From  the  presence  of  Feldspar  and  Mica 
in  the  lower  borings  and  from  the  greater  hard- 
ness of  the  material,  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  the 
Granite  was  reached,  for  whenever  Mica  accom- 
panies the  red  Sandstone  of  this  region,  it  has  a 
large  portion  of  per-oxide  of  iron,  (which  colours 
it  red,)  some  clay,  and  is  soft  and  easy  to  work. 
The  hardness  of  the  bottom  rock,  and  the  difficulty 
with  which  it  was  pierced,  caused  the  stopping  of 
the  operation  and  no  fresh  water  was  obtained  at 
this  place. 

At  the  side  of  the  Weehawken  hill  road,  soon 
after  you  pass  the  "  William  Tell  House,"  the 
Granite  shows  itself,  underlying  the  red  Sandstone, 
which  is  in  this  place  very  thin,  and  altered  by 
the  trap  that  overlies  it. 

2nd  Serpentine.— (See  plate  2,  Jig.  2.)  This 
rock  is  a  different  kind  of  Serpentine*  from  any 


*  In  1824,  I  undertook  to  make  Epsom  Salts  of  this  rock,  but  was  foiled 

6 


42  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

seen  from  other  localities,  (if  we  except  the  Ser- 
pentine of  Staten  Island,)  containing  a  larger 
portion  of  Magnesia  than  common  ;  it  is  of  a  light 
green  colour,  with  variations,  and  having  many 
veins  of  Carbonate  of  Magnesia,  running  through 
it ;  the  Hydrate  of  Magnesia,  not  being  so  plenty. 
There  are  also  some  veins  of  Magnesian  Carbonate 
of  Lime,  a  kind  of  Gurhofite,  accompanying  it,  in 
which,  are  seen  the  Hydrate  in  small  scales. 
Locality — Castle  Point,  as  you  go  north,  from  the 
ferry  wharf,  to  that  delightful  walk  "  the  Elysian 
Fields."  This  has  long  been  a  favourite  resort 
for  Mineralogists.  There  was  once,  at  this  locality, 
near  the  shore,  in  the  perpendicular  cliff,  a  wide 
seam  filled  up  with  a  conglomerate  of  all  the 
surrounding  rocks,  as  well  as  Serpentine  cemented 
together  by  a  Carbonate  of  Lime  and  Magnesia. 

3d.  Sandstone. — (See  plate  2,  Jig.  3.)  This 
rock,  is  said  to  underly  most  of  the  state  of  New 
Jersey,  north  of  a  line  drawn  from  New  Brunswick 
on  the  Rariton,  to  Trenton  on  the  Delaware,  if 
we  except  the  most  north-western  part  of  the  state, 
which  appears  to  be  a  Transition  Limestone  with 


by  the  great  quantity  of  oxide  of  iron  and  other  metallic  oxides  it  con- 
tained, which  is  the  reason  it  has  not  been  used  for  this  purpose  ;  I  had 
a  large  product  of  impure  Sulphate  of  Magnesia. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  43 

occasionally  rocks  of  the  more  primitive  orders 
such  as  spurs  of  the  Highlands  of  the  Hudson 
River.  I  have  always  considered  this  as  the  old 
red  Sandstone,  or  an  equivalent  for  it,  but  as  ob- 
jections are  made  to  its  being  called  the  "  old  red 
Sandstone"  we  will  describe  it.  In  the  first  place, 
it  is  destitute  of  fossils,  it  is  of  many  qualities  of 
coarseness,  but  is  not  known  to  have  many  grains 
as  large  as  a  pigeon's  egg.  In  colour  it  has  all 
the  varieties  of  red,  chocolate  brown,  buff,  yellow, 
gray  and  dirty  white,  and  where  altered,  as  if  by 
heat,  it  passes  into  jasper,  with  all  the  above 
colours,  to  which  may  be  added  blue  and  violet. 
Imbedded  in  it,  are  Nodulous,  Crystalline,  Carbo- 
nate of  Lime,  inclosed  in  Micaceous  oxide  of  Iron. 
Micaceous  oxide  of  Iron  in  geodes,  Sulphuret  of 
Copper,  &c. ;  for  other  minerals  see  catalogue.  It 
is  my  opinion,  that  the  impressions  of  fish  said  to 
be  found  in  this  Sandstone,  do  not  come  from  this 
formation,  but  from  one  of  the  upper  members  of 
the  Coal  Measures*  which  lie  above  it,  and  are  in 


*  Since  'writing  the  abore,  I  have  visited  the  Pompton  fish  locality, 
and  am  more  strengthened  in  my  opinion,  that  the  shales  which  hold  these 
fossil  fish  impressions  belong  to  the  Coal  Measures.  It  is  situated  at  one 
of  the  extreme  westerly  points  of  the  trap  rocks,  and  there  is  all  the 
appearance  of  a  fault,  which  should  be  the  right  place  to  find  a  dislocation 
of  this  kind.  The  rocks  in  situ,  lie  as  described  before  by  Mr.  Thompson. 


44 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 


a  shale  containing  Bitumen,  and  many  of  the  same 
types,  as  are  founed  in  the  coal  fields  at  Chester- 
field, near  Richmond  in  Virginia;  where  are  also 
the  same  impressions  of  fish,  ferns,  plants  and 
bitumen  ;  the  specimens  brought  from  thence  by 
Dr.  Draper  and  presented  to  "the  Lyceum  of 
Natural  History"  have  the  same  fossils  and  same 
character.  At  the  new  locality  at  Pompton,  there 
are  according  to  Mr.  Aaron  R.  Thompson's 
account,  three  different  series  of  rock,  which  lie 
thus — first  and  lowest,  lies  the  Sandstone,  then 
shale,  with  bitumen,  impressions  of  fish,  &c.,  then 
on  the  top  a  conglomerate  of  pebbles  with  a 
calcareous  cement,  this  conglomerate  is  the  same, 
as  what  is  called  at  Shawanjunk  Mountains, 
"  -JEsopus  Millstone,"  and  by  Professor  Rogers 
"  Potomac  Marble,"  which  is  composed  of  quartz 
pebbles  and  aluminous  slate  and  in  which  not 
unfrequently  are  seen  small  crystals  of  native  alum 
or  a  kind  of  Sulphate  of  Alumine.  At  and  on  the 
road  which  runs  from  the  "  water  gap,"  of  the 
Delaware  River,  this  is  again  seen  and  is  a  con- 


See  plate  8,  Jig.  1.  Which  represents  a  section  of  the  rocks  with  the 
fault,  as  seen  on  the  east  side  of  the  Ramapo  River,  about-half  a  mile  north 
of  Mr.  Ryerson's  Iron  Works,  in  a  ravine  through  which  a  brook  runs- 
Plate  8,  Jig.  2,  represents  the  rocks  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  ravine, 
with  a  spur  of  trap  at  the  highest  point. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  45 

glomerate  of  Limestone,  quartz  and  argillitic  peb- 
bles ;  then  again  the  conglomerate  of  the  Potomac 
is  of  different  kinds  of  coloured  Limestone  with 
few  quartz  ;  one  of  the  colums  in  "  the  House  of 
Representatives"  at  Washington  City  has  a  quartz 
pebble  in  it,  which  may  be  seen  by  its  projection 
above  the  other  parts  of  the  surface  of  the  column. 
As  this  faint  and  interrupted,  thin  streak  of  "  the 
Coal  Measures,"  is  lying  superincumbent  to  this 
Sandstone,  it  cannot  belong  to  it,  but  to  the  Coal 
Measures  the  same  as  those  of  Virginia.  The 
"  rain  marks"  of  this  formation,  so  often  spoken  of, 
appear  to  be  formed  thus — at  Belleville,  Newark, 
and  Patterson,  where  the  Sandstone  is  quarried  in 
a  large  way,  the  stratum  lies  nearly  horizontal,  or 
with  but  little  dip  ;  the  thickness  of  each  layer  is 
from  one  inch  to  four  feet  and  sometimes  as  thick 
as  six  feet ;  between  each  layer  is  a  ferruginous 
chocolate  brown  or  red  clay,  this  clay  lies  between 
most  of  the  layers,  (I  have  seen  it  where  it  is 
quarried  to  25  feet  depth,  passing  through  eight 
or  ten,  or  more  of  those  layers,)  and  if  any  person 
will  take  the  trouble  to  examine  the  under  surface 
of  each  layer,  as  well  as  the  upper,  they  will  find, 
that  on  both  surfaces  of  these  layers,  the  marks 
exist.  At  every  certain  deposit  of  the  sand  of 
more  or  less  thickness,  there  was  a  deposit  of 


46 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 


slimey,  clayey  argillaceous  matter,  highly  charged 
with  oxide  of  Iron,  some  of  which  deposit  still 
remains  between  and  separates  each  layer.  All 
do  or  will  admit,  that  this  Sandstone,  was  once 
grains  of  sand,  like  the  sand  on  our  beaches,  but 
by  time  and  the  natural  chemical  action  which  is 
always  going  on,  it  has  become  indurated  and 
cemented.  All  bodies  that  can  absorb  water, 
swell,  and  as  they  loose  it  shrink,  (on  this  principle 
*'  Wedgeworth's  Pyrometer"  is  made,)  by  this  ex- 
pansion and  contraction  the  seams  were  made,  and 
as  the  clay  or  argillaceous  deposits  were  not  so 
prone  to  cement  as  the  silicious,  there  the  seams 
do  still  exist ;  clay  when  drying  shrinks,  as  this 
clay  dried,  it  adhered  to  the  upper  and  under 
surfaces,  and  in  time  became  indurated,  and  by  its 
shrinking  it  naturally  formed  these  impressions 
called  "  rain  marks."  If  any  one  will  take  plastic 
clay,  make  it  into  a  soft  batter  or  paste  and  put 
some  of  it  between  two  roof  slates,  the  phenomenon 
will  be  partly  explained  by  pulling  them  apart. 
Many  writers  on  Geology,  do  not  take  into  con- 
sideration, the  great  chemical,  as  well  as  the 
mechanical  changes  which  are  going  on ;  the 
influence  of  heat  and  its  negative  cold,  magnetism, 
wetting  and  drying,  solution,  attraction,  deposition, 
and  cohesion,  all  have  a  tendency  to  alter  and 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  47 

make  different  modifications;  there  are  natural 
chemical  changes  always  going  on,  as  a  proof  of 
these  changes,  dip  a  brick  in  a  solution  of  Muriate 
of  Soda,  (brine  of  common  salt,)  put  some  mason's 
mortar  on  each  side,  lay  it  between  two  other 
bricks  and  keep  it  in  a  damp  place  about  a  fort- 
night ;  a  salt  will  crystalize  at  the  sides  of  the  one 
which  had  been  diped  in  brine,  but  on  the  upper 
and  under  ones  no  crystalization  will  take  place, 
these  crystals  will  not  be  (Muriate  of  Soda)  com- 
mon salt,  but  will  be  changed  to  Carbonate  of  Soda 
an  alkaline  Carbonate.  This  process  is  going  on, 
in  all  our  brick  walls,  in  new  buildings,*  where 
the  bricks  in  transporting  have  been  left  at  the 
landings  and  soaked  by  the  tide-water,  or  where 
they  have  been  exposed  on  the  deck  of  the  vessel 
to  the  salt  spray. 

4th  Greenstone  Slate. — (See  plate  2,  fg.  4.) 
This  is  an  horizontal  layer,  between  the  Sand- 
stone and  the  vertical  trap,  of  which  last  it  is  a 
member.  It  is  lammellar,  and  between  its  laminae 
it  has  in  many  places,  minute  crystals  of  Datholite, 
and  all  the  minerals  of  this  formation.  It  is  seen 
most  beautifully  at  the  shore  under  the  bluff  at 
Weehawken  for  more  than  half  a  mile,  with  its 


*  See  Dr.  J.  C.  Jay's  Walls  to  Cabinet,  22  Bond  Street. 


48  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

dip  towards  the  west,  and  from  ten  to  twenty-five 
feet  or  more  in  thickness. 

5th  Trap.— (See  plate  2,  fig.  5.)  This  rock, 
viewed  from  a  distance,  has  the  appearance  of  an 
columnar  structure  on  a  large  scale ;  but  on  a 
nearer  approach,  it  is  seen  to  be  full  of  seams  and 
fissures  in  all  directions ;  with  an  uneven  surface. 
When  the  excavations  were  making  at  Bergen  hill 
for  the  railroad,  three  six-sided  joints  were  ex- 
posed, similar  to  those  of  the  Giant's  Causeway, 
of  Carraefergus,  but  in  their  horizontal  seams,  they 
were  without  those  grooves  of  parting,  which  the 
Irish  Basalt  has.  I  have  seen  from  three  to  seven 
sided  pieces  at  this  and  many  other  places ;  at 
Weehawken  in  many  parts  and  at  one  particular 
spot  on  the  shore  this  rock  takes  the  columnar 
form.  The  trap  of  the  Palisades  has  a  long  range, 
beginning  at  the  north  end  of  Staten  Island,  (where 
it  lies  beneath  the  diluvium,)  running  from  thence 
along  the  Hudson  River  to  Vredideka  hook,  (which 
according  to  Captain  Partridge,  is  668  feet  in 
height)  to  Harvestraw  Bay,  where  it  ends  on  the 
Hudson  River,  from  thence  it  runs  west.  In  this 
formation  are  found  all  the  varieties  of  Trap,  Ba- 
salt, Sienite,  Greenstone,  Porphyritic  Greenstone, 
Greenstone  Slate,  Toadstone,  Amygdaloid,  &c., 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  49 

In  every  locality  the  Trap  has  a  vertical  appear- 
ance. For  Minerals  see  Catalogue. 

6th  Diluvium. — (See  plate  2,  fig.  6.)  Is  the 
same  as  that  on  the  Island  of  New  York, 


a*' 


DESCRIPTION    OF    SECTION, 

Plate  3. 


This  section,  it  will  be  seen,  commences  at  the 
Palisades  of  the  Hudson  River  in  New  Jersey, 
runs  across  the  Hudson  River,  the  island  of  New 
York,  the  East  River  at  Hellgate,  and  Long  Island 
to  the  ocean,  and  has  nine,  and  probably  ten,  dis- 
tinct rocks  or  formations,  in  a  stretch  of  20  miles. 
1st  Granite. — (Plate  3,  Jig.  1.)  Evidences  enough 
of  this  rock  have  been  seen  and  traced  out  to  show 
that  it  underlies  the  Trap  formation  that  borders 
the  Hudson  River,  then  opposite,  on  New  York 
Island,  it  shows  itself  largely,  as  is  mentioned  in 
description  of  plate  1,  fig.  1,  marked  1,  page  11 ;  it 
is  also  seen  at  Sunswick,  on  Long  Island,  (now 
called  Ravenswood,)  near  the  seat  of  the  late  Col. 
G.  Gibbs,  in  a  quarry  of  Gneiss,  crossing  it  in  all 
directions,  both  in  veins  and  in  layers.  For  this 
fact  I  am  indebted  to  Messrs.  George  and  O.  W. 
Gibbs,  and  I  have  since  visited  the  locality  and  ob- 
tained fine  specimens. 

2nd  Gneiss. — (Plate  3,  fg.  2.)     This  rock  has 


I 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  51 

been  quarried  in  many  places.  At  Hallet's  Cove, 
near  the  ferry,  where  it  is  beautifully  striped,  blue- 
black  and  white,  (giving  it  aribbon-like  appearance,) 
it  is  a  good  building  stone.  At  Ravenswood,  which 
is  a  mile  south,  this  rock  does  not  quarry  so  well, 
having  none  of  its  seams  so  easily  opened — at 
both  localities  its  strata  is  vertical.  This  rock 
may  be  traced  to  the  salt-marsh,  one  mile  north  of 
Williamsburgh. 

3d  Serpentine.— (Plate  3,  fig.  3.) 
4th  Sandstone.— (Plate  3,fg.  4.) 
5th  Greenstone  Slate, — (Plate  39fig.  5.) 
6th  Trap.— (Plate  3,  fig.  6.)  The  rocks  of  these 
four  formations  have  been  described  already  under 
their  respective  names. 

7th  Green  Sand,— (Plate  3,fg.  7.)  New  Jersey 
Marl.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  this  member 
of  the  Cretaceous  Group  underlies  Long  Island 
and  may  be  a  continuation  of  the  great  range 
which  begins  at  the  south,  in  Virginia,  and  runs 
through  New  Jersey  to  the  Neversink  Hills,  at 
which  place  it  is  last  seen  above  the  surface. 
Dr.  J.  C.  Jay  exhibited  at  the  Lyceum  of  Natural 
History  on  Monday,  December  19th,  1842,  a  large 
and  beautiful  specimen  of  the  Exogyra  Costata  of 
Say,  of  the  same  age  and  formation  as  those  of 
New  Jersey.  This  specimen  was  given  to  him  to 


52  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

exhibit  by  Mr.  Furman  of  Brooklyn,  Long  Island, 
and  it  was  said  to  have  been  found  (in  digging  a 
well)  sixty  feet  below  the  surface  ;  the  specimen 
was  very  perfect,  having  both  valves  and  some  of 
the  earthy  matter  of  the  Green  Sand  adhering  to 
it — the  only  perceptible  difference  was,  that  the 
earthy  matter  was  rather  finer  and  had  more 
shining  specks  of  Mica  than  the  Green  Sand  of 
New  Jersey  has — if  this  prove  true,  the  establish- 
ment of  Green  Sand  underlying  Long  Island  is 
made  out.  It  has  been  often  said  that  quantities 
of  large  oyster  shells  have  been  taken  from  the 
bottom  of  deep  wells  on  the  island  ;*  the  Exogyra 
and  Gryphsea  so  much  resemble  our  common 
oyster  that  almost  all  persons  who  are  not  unac- 
quainted with  Conchology  call  them  so. 

8th  Tertiary.— (Plate  39fg.  8.)     The  Tertiary 

*  While  I  was  writing  on  this  subject,  my  friend,  Dr.  Samuel  Akerly, 
came  to  my  house,  and  after  examining  the  fossil  exhibited  at  the  Lyceum, 
he  confirmed  the  identity  of  the  Green  Sand  on  Long  Island,  by  telling 
me  that  Dr.  Samuel  L*  Mitchill  had  received  the  same  fossil  (Exogyra 
Costata)  from  Long  Island,  (between  Brooklyn  and  Flatbush,)  it  was  ob- 
tained from  the  bottom  of  a  well  which  Mr. was  digging,  many 

feet  below  the  surface. 

Dr.  Swift,  of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  exhibited,  as  I  understand  from  good 
authority,  shells  and  pebbles  of  ancient  sea-beach,  taken  from  the  bottom 
of  a  well  dug  on  Long  Island  for  the  use  of  the  United  States  Naval 
Hospital.  What  is  remarkable,  the  workmen  had  to  blast  through  a 
boulder  in  carrying  on  their  operations.  The  shells  were  so  weathered  and 
water-worn  that  nothing  could  be  determined  as  to  their  geological  age. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  53 

of  Long  Island,  is  a  formation  of  White  Quartz 
pebbles  and  sand,  tinged  yellowish  with  an  oxide 
of  Iron,  and  may  be  seen  on  the  road  as  you  go 
from  Jamaica  to  Rockaway,  and  several  other 
places.  It  is  said  that  at  "  Lloyd's  Neck,"  fine 
potter's  clay  in  beds  is  found  at  tide-water  mark. 
I  once  saw  a  waggon  load  of  shell  limestone  that 
was  brought  from  Long  Island  which  had  all  the 
character  of  that  rock  which  is  found  at  Cape 
Fear,  North  Carolina ;  this  was  brought  to  New 
York  to  burn  as  a  lime  to  be  used  for  agricultural 
purposes.  The  late  Dr.  Samuel  L.  Mitchill  had 
in  his  possession  at  one  time,  some  oyster  shells 
(Ostrea  Canadensis)  said  to  have  been  taken  from 
a  well  on  Long  Island  at  the  depth  of  thirty  feet 
or  more. 

9th  Diluvium,— (Plate  3,/#.  9.)  The  Diluvium 
of  Long  Island  is  on  that  range  of  hills  which 
commences  at  Brooklyn  Heights,  and  runs  east 
through  Harbour  hill  to  the  village  of  Norwich 
near  Oyster  Bay  ;  on  both  sides  and  on  the  top  of 
the  ridge  are  all  the  varieties  of  boulder,  gravel 
and  sand,  as  in  the  Diluvium  of  New  "ftork  Island, 
see  page  18. 

10th  Beach  Sand,— (Plate  3,  fig.  10.)  This  is 
at  the  present  time  forming  and  altering  its  form,  on 
the  south  shore  of  Long  Island  where  the  ocean 


54  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

is  rolling  in  its  waves ;  and  at  all  storms  from  the 
south  and  east,  lobsters,  crabs,  shell-fish  and  other 
inhabitants  of  the  deep,  are  thrown  up  from  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean.  In  a  tremendous  storm, 
about  the  first  of  March,  1839,  on  the  beaches  of 
this  part  of  the  island,  was  a  wind-row  of  shells, 
from  ten  to  twelve  feet  wide,  and  from  two  to  three 
feet  deep,  that  skirted  the  line  of  high-water  for 
miles  ;  these  shells  contained  the  living  animals, 
and  thousands  of  crows  (Corvus  Americanus)  carne 
here  to  feed  on  them — they  were  the  beach  clam 
or  skimmer  (Mactra  gigantea)  Natica  heros  and 
duplicata,  and  many  other  bivalves  and  univalves, 
with  many  species  of  Crustacea,  and  one  species 
of  asterias.  These  shells,  crabs,  &c.,  were  thrown 
in  a  layer  or  series,  with  the  sand  at  their  bottom 
and  top,  with  a  dip  to  the  south  similar  to  what 
we  see  in  some  members  of  ancient  formations. 


I 


SECTION  OF  STATEN  ISLAND, 

Plate  4. 


1st  Granite. — (Plate  4,fg.  1.)  This  is  seen  at 
the  south  side  of  the  ferry  wharf,  on  the  shore, 
between  high  and  low-water  mark  at  Tompkins- 
ville,  this  rock  differs  from  the  New  York  Granite, 
and  is  what  is  called  Graphic  Granite,  it  has  a 
large  vein  of  white  translucent  quartz  running 
through  it ;  fine  specimens  may  be  obtained  here. 

2nd  Serpentine. — (Plate  ±,fig.  2.)  This  forms 
the  highest  hills  on  the  island,  it  is  similar  to  the 
Serpentine  of  Hoboken,  but  that  no  Hydrate  of 
Magnesia  has  as  yet  been  found,  but  abundant 
veins  of  the  Carbonate.  This  Carbonate  was 
brought  up,  by  the  sinking  of  a  shaft  (which  was 
done  by  some  dreamers  after  riches)  in  a  valley, 
about  four  miles  from  Tompkinsville,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  turnpike.  Crystals  of  the  mineral 
since  called  Marmolite  by  Mr.  Nuttal,  were  found 
imbedded  in  the  Carbonate  of  Magnesia.  It  would 


Nft 


56  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

seem  that  the  white  silvery  Talc  of  this  locality 
took  the  place  of  the  Hydrate  of  Magnesia. 

3d  Sandstone. — (Plate  4,  Jig*  3.)  Indications 
of  this  rock  shows  itself,  both  on  the  south  of  the 
Island  on  the  Richmond  road,  and  on  the  north 
end,  near  the  Trap  ;  but  it  is  supposed  not  to  have 
been  found  in  place  as  yet. 

4th  Trap  or  Greenstone. — (Plate  4,  Jig.  4.) 
This  rock  is  the  southernmost  end  of  the  Pali- 
sades of  the  Hudson  River  :  it  is  generally  a  better 
kind  to  work  or  dress,  than  any  further  north  of 
this  locality,  quarries  have  been  opened,  and  large 
square  blocks  have  been  dressed,  which  show  a 
beautiful  and  durable  material  for  building,  it  is 
erroneously  called  "  Staten  Island  Granite." 

5th  Beds  of  Pea  Iron  Ore.— (Plate  4,  Jig.  5.) 
These  beds  I  think  may  be  members  of  the  Sand- 
stone, they  can  be  seen  on  both  sides  of  the  Island 
near  the  first  corner,  where  the  road  runs  from 
the  Turnpike  to  New  Brighton  or  "  the  Kills ;" 
and  on  the  road  that  leads  from  Tompkinsville  to 
Richmond  on  the  right  hand,  just  before  you  come 
to  the  Moravian  Meeting-house.  This  ore  has 
been  mined. 

6th  Diluvium.— (Plate  4, fig.  6.)  This  formation 
is  mostly  the  same  as  that  of  New  York  and  Long 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  57 

Island ;  its  greatest  range  is  on  the  flats  at  the 
south  side  of  the  Island.  At  Stapleton,  in  digging 
down  the  hills,  boulders  of  the  "  Catskill  Mountain 
Limestone,"  were  exposed  containing  Delthyris 
and  other  fossils.  For  Minerals  see  Catalogue. 


8 


SECTION    DONDERBERG, 

Plate  5. 


This  commences  at  Stoney  Point  and  ends  half 
a  mile  beyond  the  turn  of  the  river,  above  "  Cald- 
welPs  Landing,"  on  the  west  side  of  the  Hudson. 

1st  Granite. — (See  plate  §ifig*  1.) 

2nd  Gneiss. — (See  plate  5,fig.  2.)  These  rocks 
are  similar  to  those  described  before. 

3d  Talcose  Slate. — (See  plate  5,/g\  3.)  This 
is  one  of  the  rocks  which  the  older  Geologists 
called  Argillite  ;  it  is  a  slaty  rock,  of  a  dark  slate 
blue  colour,  with  sometimes,  the  shining  lustre  of 
talcy  matter  in  its  seams :  with  a  natural  rhom- 
boidal  and  splintery  fracture  ;  it  rests  on  Gneiss 
at  this  locality. 

4th  Limestone. — (See  plate  5,  Jig.  4.)  This  is 
what  the  older  Geologists  called  Transition  Lime- 
stone ;  no  fossils  have  been  found  at  this  locality. 
In  the  veins,  is  handsome  Talc,  of  a  light  colour 
with  a  good  lustre.  This  Limestone  is  not  fit  to 
use  as  a  marble,  but  is  excellent  for  burning  lime ; 

i 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  59 

which  lime  is  used  in  building  and  for  agricultural 

' 
purposes. 

5th  Brick  Clay.— (See  plate  5,  fig.  5.)  This  is 
a  diluvium  clay,  of  two  varieties  of  colour,  the 
top  is  a  light  buff  or  dun  colour,  while  the  bottom 
is  of  a  light  slate  blue,  containing  some  black 
vegetable  matter ;  large  quantities  of  brick  are 
made  from  a  mixture  of  the  two  varieties  of  this 
clay :  on  the  top  of  this  clay,  is  a  diluvium  of  gravel 
and  sand,  which  is  also  used  in  the  composition  of 
the  brick.  This  bed  of  clay  is  from  eighty  to  one 
hundred  feet  thick. 


. 


SECTION  OF  THE  ROCKS  OF  THE  ISLAND  OF 
RHODE  ISLAND. 

Plate  6. 


1st  Granite. — (See  plate  6,  fig.  1.)  This  rock 
shows  itself,  at  the  south  end  of  this  Island,  and 
is  a  close-grained  compound  of  Quartz,  Mica  and 
Feldspar,  with  occasionally  some  Hornblende  ;  one 
variety  has  small  green  specks  resembling  Ser- 
pentine. 

It  is  not  overlaid  by  Gneiss,  as  on  the  Island  of 
New  York,  there  is  however  one  variety  of  the 
Graywacke,  (which  appears  to  run  into  Gneiss,) 
which  has  a  small  quantity  of  Mica  in  its  compo- 
sition. 

2nd  Serpentine. — (See  plate  6,  fig.  2.)  The 
locality  of  this  rock  is  between  the  town  of  New- 
port and  Fort  Adams,  near  the  Granite  ;  it  is  a 
black  variety  of  nearly  the  same  quality  as  the 
Serpentine  of  New  York  Island. 

3d  Talcose  Slate.— (See  p late  6,  fig.  3.)  This 
rock,  may  be  seen  at  Fort  Adams,  in  the  area  of 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  61 

that  fortification  ;  it  is  very  similar  to  its  brother 
rocks  at  Stoney  Point;  veins  of  Talc,  Quartz 
and  Carbonate  of  Iron  run  through  this  rock. 

4th  Graywacke. — (See  plate  69jig.  4.)  There 
were  many  rocks  called  Graywacke  by  the  older 
Geologists,  the  one  which  I  have  retained  this 
name  for,  is  a  slaty  conglomerate  of  pebbles  and 
sand,  cemented  together,  by  a  silicious  cement, 
and  without  fossils.  There  are  four  or  more 
distinct  varieties  of  this  rock  on  this  Island,  the 
most  curious  of  which,  are  seen  at  the  bluff  that 
separates  Easton's  beach  from  Sachuest,  at  the 
south  end  of  the  Island ;  at  this  locality  all  the 
varieties  may  be  seen,  from  the  fine  grain  slaty 
sandstone  or  grit,  to  the  coarse  conglomerate  ;  at 
this  locality  also,  one  variety  has  pebbles  of  a 
somewhat  ovate  form,  which  lie  all  in  one  direction, 
that  is,  they  are  longer  than  broad  and  lie  side  by 
side,  and  do  not  cross  each  other.  Some  varieties 
of  this  Graywacke  run  into  the  shale  above  it,  and 
are  so  similar  in  appearance  that  they  are  diffi- 
cult to  distinguish.  The  kind  used  to  make  tomb- 
stones of,  is  an  argillaceous  slate,  it  is  quarried 
near  the  Granite  on  the  west  side  of  "  the  Neck" 
near  "  Hog-hole." 

* 


62  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

At  the  above  promontory*  or  bluff  there  is  a 
remarkable  chasm  called  "  Purgatory ,"  the  opening 
of  which  faces  the  ocean  and  is  about  ten  or  twelve 
feet  wide,  and  is  open  up  to  the  top  of  the  rock, 
and  runs  in  from  the  sea  about  one  hundred  feet 
or  more  ;  this  rock  projects  out  in  the  ocean,  and 
is  some  seventy  or  eighty  feet  higher  than  the 
level  of  the  water,  the  top  is  covered  with  diluvium 

*  In  the  summer  of  1840,  I  visited  this  romantic  spot,  and  standing  on 
the  top,  looked  on  the  vast  sheet  of  the  ocean,  which  continually  rolled 
in  its  boisterous  waves,  the  sound  of  which  gave  a  peculiar  echo,  like  the 
dull  ring  of  a  metallic  basin.  There  were  some  thousands  of  the  white 
bellied  swallow,  (Hinmdo  Bicolor,  of  Audubon,)  who  after  skimming  the 
beach  and  ocean,  would  dart  up  and  down,  through  this  chasm,  with 
swallow  swiftness,  while  on  the  sod  about  the  top,  hundreds  more  sat 
perched,  uttering  their  sharp  note  (wit,  wit,  wit,)  the  echo  from  the  wave 
below,  the  bass  roar  of  old  ocean,  the  diamond  brillancy  of  the  spray 
sparkling  in  the  sunshine,  and  the  fresh  breeze,  all  contributed  to  make 
this  spot  pleasingly  sublime.  Near  this  chasm,  and  on  the  top  of  the 
rock,  are  many  irregularly  shaped  cavities,  or  impressions,  filled  with  a 
dark  blood  red,  argillaceous  oxide  of  iron,  these  marks  have  a  vermiform 
and  confused  appearance,  and  can  be  distorted  in  any  form  the  imagina- 
tion chooses,  one  of  these  is  as  large  as  a  human  body  would  occupy,  of 
which  a  legend  is  told — It  is  said,  that  about  the  time  the  white  man,  first 
came  to  these  parts,  and  long  before  Roger  William's  or  William 
Coddington's  days,  that  an  Indian,  who  was  jealous  of  his  squaw,  took 
her  to  this  rock  and  there  killed  and  left  her,  that  the  great  spirit  of  the 
red  people,  was  vexed  at  the  act  and  opening  this  chasm  threw  in  the 
murderer,  and  that  the  metallic,  echoing,  moaning  sound  has  been  ever 
since  heard  at  the  place.  They  who  tell  this  story  imagine  they  see  the 
impression  of  the  body,  which  is  supposed  to  have  decayed  on  the  spot, 
and  that  the  brownish  red  oxide  of  Iron  is  the  congealed  blood  of  the 
victim. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  63 

and  sod,  and  is  sloped  in,  making  it  funnel  shaped ; 
the  bottom,  is  some  twenty  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  ocean,  and  every  rolling  wave  dashes  in 
and  throws  its  spray  to  the  very  top.  How  this 
opening  in  the  rock  was  formed  is  somewhat 
problematic.  The  place  in  former  times,  might 
have  been  filled  with  softer  materials,  which  were 
washed  out  by  the  waves  of  the  ocean,  continually 
dashing  in — and  yet  no  traces  of  any  decomposable 
rock  remain.  The  rock  could  not  have  been  parted 
by  any  convulsion  of  nature,  for  the  cavity  is  nearly 
as  wide  in  its  further  end  as  at  the  mouth,  and  its 
sides  are  perpendicular ;  resembling  an  alley  be- 
tween two  high  buildings,  with  its  back  end 
closed  up. 

5th  Black  Shale.— (See  plate  6,fg.  5.)  This  is 
a  true  coal  shale,  and  commences  at  what  are 
called  "  the  Blue  rocks,"  at  the  north  end  of  the 
town,  on  the  shore,  below  Fort  Green.  It  runs 
interruptedly,  all  along  the  Island  to  the  Ports- 
mouth Coal  Mines,  which  are  about  eight  miles 
north  of  the  town.  In  this  shale  is  seen  impres- 
sions of  Lepidodendrons,  Sagillaria  and  other  fossil 
plants. 

6th  Rhode  Island  Coal. — (See  plate  6,/g*.  6.) 
This  is  an  Anthracite  of  a  lead  blue  colour,  which 
is  caused,  by  the  diffusion  of  Plumbago,  through 


64 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 


all  its  seams  and  crevices.  The  coal  assumes 
sometimes  after  exposure  a  ferruginous  rusty 
appearance.  This  coal  is  probably  the  oldest  of 
all  its  kind  for  it  has  not  only  lost  all  its  bitumen, 
(if  it  ever  had  any,)  but  is  pervaded  by  seams  of 
quartz,  which  are  sometimes  four  or  more  inches 
in  width ;  it  has  also  seams  of  Asbestos  and  Ami- 
anthus. It  is  a  very  hard  coal  to  kindle,  but  will 
make  a  very  hot  fire,  if  properly  managed  ;  it  is 
economically  used  in  the  proportion  of  one-third 
with  other  coal,  where  much  heat  is  wanted,  for  a 
long  time,  as  for  manufacturing  purposes,  &c.* 

7th  Diluvium,  The  Diluvium  of  the  Island  is  a 
gravel  of  all  its  own  rocks,  covered  with  a  some- 
what stiff  clay,  and  has  a  soil  on  top,  which  yields 
well  by  cultivation.  There  are  none  or  very  few 
boulders  of  any  size,  which  have  been  transported 
from  other  localities,  if  we  except  some  few,  which 
lay  on  the  shore  below  high  water. 

*  When  this  coal  was  first  discovered,  a  load  was  sent  to  a  somewhat 
crusty  old  fellow,  who  had  the  old  fashioned  Liverpool  coal  grate,  think- 
ing that  he  would  be  the  right  person  to  try  its  properties,  but  in  his  grate 
which  was  of  a  wrong  construction  for  burning  this  coal,  and  was  par- 
ticularly adapted  for  bituminous,  the  fire  soon  went  out,  which  caused 
the  old  jockey  to  say,  that  if  he  wanted  fire  proof  houses,  he  would  cer- 
tainly build  them  of  this  Rhode  Island  Coal,  for  it  was  the  only  material 
of  the  kind  that  would  stand  fire— we  should  not  pronounce  judgment  too 
hastily.  Rhode  Island  Coal  would  be  invaluable  if  we  had  not  a  better 
quality  in  such  large  quantities. 


SECTION  OF  NIAGARA  FALLS. 

Plate  7. 


The  rocks  and  formations  at  the  Niagara  Falls 
and  River,  are  twelve  in  number,  and  are  mostly 
described  by  Mr.  James  Hall,  one  of  the  Geologists 
of  the  State  of  New  York. 

1st  Red  Marl.— (See  plate  7,  fig.  1.)  This  is 
the  lowest  rock,  the  bottom  of  which  lies  below 
the  level  of  Lake  Ontario  and  is  of  a  somewhat 
destructable  kind.* 

2nd  Sandstone. — (See  plate  7,  Jig.  2.)  This 
Sandstone  is  said  to  be  twenty-five  feet  thick,  and 
is  of  the  hardest  kind,  and  not  easily  worn  away 
by  water.  I  suppose  this  Sandstone,  which  forms 
an  irregular  bar  across  the  river,)  by  its  hardness 
and  its  not  being  acted  upon  easily  by  the  running 
water,  its  projection  above  the  level  of  the  marl 
which  it  overlies,  and  which  is  easily  removed  by 
the  fierce  stream,  and  by  its  crossing  the  river,)  to 
cause,  what  is  called  the  whirlpool ;  there  is  an 

*  In  the  Geological  reports  of  the  State  of  New  York,  all  soft  crumbling 
Rocks  seem  to  be  called  Marl,  and  many  of  the  Sandstones,  Grits. 

9 


66 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 


irregular  bar  similar  to  this  across  the  Licking 
river  in  Kentucky,  which  at  high-water  shows  all 
the  same  phenomena,  but  on  a  smaller  scale. 

3d  Red  Marl  and  Sandstone.  —  (See  plate  79J%. 
3.)  Seventy  feet  thick  ;  of  this  it  is  said  the 
upper  layers  only  are  hard. 

4th  Limestone.  —  (See  plate  7,  Jig.  4.)  Twenty 
feet  thick. 

5th  Shale.*—  (See  plate  7,  Jig.  5.)  Eighty  feet 
thick.  This  shale  is  of  much  interest  in  a  Geolo- 
gical point  of  view,  as  its  softness  causes  it  to  be 
washed  out  of  its  bed  from  under  the  falls,  leaving 
the  Limestone  (see  6th  below)  above,  to  hold  up 
itself  until  a  certain  projection  is  formed,  when 
by  its  vast  weight  it  falls  down  in  the  abyss  below. 
This  debris  is  carried  down  the  stream  and  is 
somewhat  levelled  on  the  bottom  of  the  river.  As 
the  dip  of  this  shale  is  descending  towards  Lake 
Erie,  it  must  sink  far  below  the  influence  of  any 
water  before  it  arrives  at  the  boundaries  of  the 
Lake,  so  that  Lake  Erie  will  not  be  drained  as 
soon  as  some  of  our  very  wise  and  flowery  writers 
on  Geology  have  imagined.  I  refer  to  those  who 
write  the  romance  of  the  science,  prophecying 
miracles  and  making  wonders  as  they  go. 

*  This  is  another  of  these  general  names  for  any  rock  which  has  a 
slaty  structure,  and  is  not  slate  proper. 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

6th  Limestone. — (See  plate  7,  Jig.  6.)  The 
Limestone  of  Niagara  Falls  is  twenty  feet  thick  at 
Lewistown,  where  it  forms  the  top  and  peak  of 
the  bluff  called  Lewistown  heights  ;  and  is  eighty 
feet  thick  at  the  great  pitch  of  the  great  fall  and 
reposes  on  the  shale  described  as  5th.  This  is 
the  same  rock  as  that  at  Lockport,  and  was  called 
by  Professor  Eaton  the  "  Geodiferous  Lime  Rock  ;" 
at  that  place  the  canal  was  cut  through  it  at  con- 
siderable depth  and  many  beautiful  minerals  were 
obtained.  If  I  understand  things  rightly,  this  is 
the  main  rock  that  forms  the  basin  of  Lake  Erie, 
the  level  of  whose  waters  is  334  feet  higher  than 
Lake  Ontario.  If  the  level  at  Lewistown  is  9  feet 
higher  than  Lake  Ontario,  and  there  is  a  fall  of 
101  feet  from  the  level  of  the  great  pitch,  the  great 
pitch  being  164  feet  and  the  fall  at  the  rapids  40 
feet,  and  20  feet  more  from  the  rapids  to  the 
level  of  Lake  Erie,  then  these  sums  added  together 
give  the  whole  height  of  the  falls  334  feet,  as  stated 
above.  Lake  Ontario  is  said  to  be  222  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  which  added  to 
the  334  feet,  makes  Lake  Erie  556  feet  higher 
than  tide-water  ;  now  if  a  straight  line  be  drawn 
from  Buffalo  to  the  Telegraph  at  Staten  Island, 
which  is  the  nearest  point  across  the  land  to  the 


p 

68  A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

ocean,*  it  will  be  found  to  be  about  300  miles, 
which  is  a  rise  of  only  about  100  feet,  in  every 
fifty-four  miles,  or  thereabouts. 

7th  Shale.— (See  plate  7,  fig.  7.)  This  Shale 
belongs  to  the  Onondaga  salt  group. 

8th  Corniferous  Limestone. — (See  plate  7,  fig. 
8.)  This  rock  is  a  Limestone,  with  a  large  pro- 
portion of  Hornstone,  which  is  a  silicious  mineral, 
resembling  flint  in  appearance,  of  the  colour  of 
horn,  from  which  it  takes  its  name,  I  have  seen 
fossils  in  it  completely  silicated. 

9th  Pyritiferous  Rock  (of  Eaton.) — (See  plate  7, 
fig.  9.)  This  name  seems  to  have  been  dropped 
by  the  state  Geologists. 

10th  Shales  of  the  Hamilton  group. — (See  plate 
7,  fig.  10.)  See  table. 

llth  Shells.— (See  plate  7,  fig.  11.)  These 
beds  of  shells  consist  of  Unio's,  Anodonta's,  Me- 
lania's  and  of  other  inhabitants  of  fresh  water 
lakes  and  streams  ;  they  are  found  on  top  of  the 
highest  ridges  of  Lewistown  heights  and  on  Goat 
Island,  and  no  doubt  were  left  there  when  the 
level  of  Lake  Erie  was  much  higher  than  it  now 


*  It  is  a  great  pity  that  the  means  could  not  be  procured  to  build  the 
Erie  and  New  York  Railroad,  the  distance  in  a  straight  line  is  so  short ; 
and  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  land  and  property  holders  of  this  city  stand 
greatly  in  their  own  light  by  not  having  the  enterprize  carried  into  effect. 


I 


A  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY.  69 

is,  and  that  they  were  carried  there  by  the  stream 
of  the  river  when  it  runs  over  the  top  of  these 
bluffs,  for  it  is  to  be  supposed  that  at  some  remote 
period  the  heights  of  Queenstown  and  Lewistown 
were  joined  and  that  the  falls  were  as  low  down 
the  river  as  that  place,  which  is  about  seven  miles 
from  its  present  site. 

12th  Fragments  of  Sandstone  and  Limestone* 
—(Plate  7,  fig.  12.)  Mr.  James  'Hall  (State 
Geologist)  says  in  his  report "  these  fragments  are 
thrown  together  in  the  greatest  confusion,  and 
bear  conclusive  evidence  of  the  action  of  a  power- 
ful current." 

t 


*r 

*$: 


I 


19! 


Plate 


of  Plate  0  TJiese  Column  otrrea^adnta  toff&7  Section*, 

Shait'!'  >••}<?  ftorfc-  -as  they  are  found  aU  the  localities  they  .-o/iresenl 

-.,1 1        •  .  strresjiondyig  -irtik  tft£  ~l'ujri<ber  of  Sack 


(sreen.  Stone       EH 

Slate.          •;  ^ 


*  These  3 
epnaJ.  Tieights  on 
7s  kind. . 


CATALOGUE    OF    MINERALS 


LIST  OF    AGGREGATE  OR  COMPOUND     MINERALS  FOUND    ON  THE 
ISLAND  OF  NEW  YORK  IN    PLACE. 

Granite,    Gneiss,  Mica    Slate,   Hornblende   Slate,    Sienite, 
Primitive  Limestone,  Serpentine,  Quartz  Rock. 

LIST  OF    SIMPLE    MINERALS  FOUND    IN    PLACE    ON     NEW     YORK 
ISLAND. 

Actinolite,  60th  Street,  Hudson  River. 

Anthophyllite, 

Talc,  « 

"     in  Gneiss,  Bellevue. 
Serpentine,  (Black,)  58th  to  60th  Street- 
Carbonate  of  Lime,  a  vein  in  Serpentine,  58th  Street. 
Quartz,  in  all  the  veins  of  Gneiss  and  Granite. 

"     (Fetid,)  in  veins  of  Primitive  Limestone,  Kingsbridge. 

"     crystals  in  Granite,  old  Glass  House  Point. 

"  "  "  Bellevue. 

Feldspar,  in  many  veins  in  Granite  and  Gneiss. 

"     fetid  in  veins  of  Primitive  Limestone,  Kingsbridge. 

"     Adularia  in  veins  of  Gneiss,  Bellevue. 
Mica,  in  Granite  and  Gneiss. 

"     Green,  (Dr.  Torrey.) 

"     prismatic,  in  Granite,  Bellevue. 
Hornblende  Slate,  (Spuytenduyvel  Creek.) 


72  CATALOGUE  OF  MINERALS. 

Hornblende  Slate,  Manhattanville. 

"  in  Gneiss,  Harlem  Railroad. 

Tourmaline  Black  in  Granite,  McGowan's  Pass. 
«  "  Gneiss,  Fort  Washington. 

"  «  Fetid  Feldspar,  Kingsbridge. 

"         Brown  or  Brown  Schorl  in   Primitive  Limestone, 

Kingsbridge. 
Cy anile,  discovered  by  F.  S.  Cozzens  near  the  Deaf  and  Dumb 

Institute. 

Tremolite,  Kingsbridge. 
White  Augite,     " 

Titanium,  crystals  of,  Kingsbridge. 
Copper,  pyrites  "         " 

Iron, 

"  "  in  Gneiss,  Hellgate  Ferry. 

Sulphate  of  Iron,  Hellgate. 

"         "       in  the  water  of  a  well  twenty-five  feet  below 

the  surface,  8th  Avenue  near  28th  Street. 
Sulphuric  Acid,  an  excess  in  Sulphate  of  Iron,  Hellgate. 
Epidote,  New  York  and  Harlem  Railroad. 
Stilbite,  Red, 
Bog  Iron  Ore,  in  many  places  in  the  low  grounds  between   8th 

Avenue  on  the  west,  and   the  old  Kingsbridge  road  on  the 

east,  and  between  6th  Street  on  the  south  and  32nd  Street  on 

the  north. 
Garnets,  coarse,  in  abundance  in  the  Gneiss,  Hopper's  Point, 

Hudson  River. 

Garnets,  small,  in  many  places  and  at  32nd  Street. 
Apatite,  or  Asparagus  Stone,  (Dr.  Torrey.) 
Sulphuret  of  Molybdena,  in  Gneiss,  R.  R.  Croton  Water  Works. 
Phosphate  of  Lime,  in  crystals,  Baron  Lederer's  Collection. 


CATALOGUE  OF  MINERALS.  73 


LIST  OF    MINERALS    FOUND  ON    THE  ISLAND  OF    NEW    YORK  IN 
BOULDERS,  AGGREGATE  COMPOUND. 

Granite,  many  varieties. 

Gneiss,         "         " 

Mica  Slate. 

Hornblende. 

Primitive  Limestone,  the  same  as  that  of  Kingsbridge. 

Serpentine,  with  all  tike  varieties  of  Hoboken. 
Black,         "         «         the  Island. 

Sandstone,  all  the  varieties  of  New  Jersey. 

Trap   Basalt,  and    Greenstone    all  the  varieties  of  the    Pali- 
sades. 

Delthyris  Shale,  containing  fossils. 

Transition  Limestone,  same   as   that  of  Stoney  Point  (without 
fossils.) 

Limestone,  apparently  the  same    as  that    which  now  is  found 
above  the  Highlands  ;  containing  fossil  shells,  corals,  &c.,  &c. 

Argillaceous  Slate,  the  same  as  at  Newburgh,  Orange  County, 
New  York. 

North  River  Slate,  the  same  as  that  of  Coeymans,  New  York. 

Hudson  River  Slate,  with  veins  of  Quartz,  the  same  as  is  found 
at  Poughkeepsie. 

Graywacke  or    Grit,  the   same  as   that   from  Kingston  on  the 
Hudson,  which  is  used  for  flaggings  in  New  York  city. 

Talcose  Slate,  same  as  at  Peekskill  and  Stoney  Point. 

Rasanite,  (a  kind  of  Lydian  stone.) 

Anthophylite,  from  the  Serpentine  locality  of  60th  Street. 

*  10 


74  CATALOGUE  OF  MINERALS. 


LIST  OF  SIMPLE  MINERALS    FOUND  IN     THE  DILUVIUM,  AND  OUT 
OF  PLACE  ON  NEW  YORK  ISLAND. 

Actinolite,  Corker's  Hook. 

"  8th  Avenue. 

Adularia,  Corlaer's  Hook. 
A  mineral  called  Cleavelaudite  in  boulders  of  Trap,  Corlaer's 

Hook  and  near  40th  Street,  North  River. 
Amianthus,  in  Serpentine  boulders,  Amity  Street. 
Mountain  Cork,  "  " 

Amygdaloid,  Corlaer's  Hook. 
Ligniform  Asbestos,     " 

Green  Carbonate  of  Copper,  in  coarse  Jasper,  Gorlaer's  Hook. 
Sulphuret  of  Copper,  in  coarse  Jasper,  Corlaer's  Hook. 
Cholorite  Slate,  (green,)  "  " 

Epidote,  " 

Garnets,  (Red)  in  Granite,  "  " 

"      (Brown)  "  " 

Micaceous  Plumbago,  " 

Hornstone,  "  " 

Jasper,  coarse  Red, 

Kaolin  or  decayed  Feldspar,  old  road  three  mile  stone. 
Oxide  of  Manganese,  associated  with  Bog  Iron  Ore,  5th  Avenue. 
Roe  Stone,  a  small  round  mass  found  by  F.  S.  Cozzens,  Corlaer's 

Hook. 
Quartz,  ferruginous,  greasy,  irised,  milky,  yellow,  brown,  red, 

&c.,  &c.,  and  boulders  all  over  the  Island. 
Steatite,  or  Soap  Stone  in  boulders,  40th  Street. 
Talc  and  Asbestos,  in  a  boulder  of  Serpentine,  (Mathews.) 
Crichtonite,  in  Smoky  Quartz,  found  by  (W.  H.  Pease.) 


CATALOGUE  OF  MINERALS.  75 

A  boulder  of    "  Verd  Antique,"  near   24th  Street  and  Union 

Square. 

Selenite,  in  crystals  in  a  Gneiss  boulder,  Harlem  Common. 
"  "  Corlaer's  Hook. 

FOSSILS  FOUND  ON  THE  ISLAND  OF  NEW  YORK. 

Delthyris,  Orthis,  Atrypa  and  other  fossils  found  in  Delthyris 
Shale.  In  some  of  these  boulders  all  the  Carbonate  of  Lime 
has  gone,  leaving  the  impressions  of  the  shells  in  a  porous 
Sandstone.  . 

Madreporites,  Cyathophyllum,  &c.,  &c.,  were  found  by  Dr.  Alex. 
Anderson  at  Corlaer's  Hook.  The  late  M.  PafF  had  in  his 
possession  a  large  boulder  from  Corlaer's  Hook,  which  con- 
tained Coral  and  other  fossil,  which  made  when  polished 
beautiful  specimens. 

The  cellular  part  of  a  large  bone,  probably  of  the  Mastodon,  was 
found  in  digging  the  cellar  of  J.  M.  Bradhurst's  house,  about 
ten  feet  below  the  present  surface,  in  Broadway  near  Franklin 
Street. 

CATALOGUE  OF  MINERALS    FOUND  IN  SECTION  OF  THE  PALISADES, 
PLATE  II. 

In  -the  Serpentine  of  Hoboken,  are  found  Marmolite,  Nemalite, 
Gurhofite,  Conglomerate  of  pebbles,  with  a  calcareous  cement, 
Pulverulent  Carbonate  Magnesia,  Chromate  of  Iron,  Oxide  of 
Iron,  Native  or  Hydrate  of  Magnesia. 

In  the  Trap  or  Greenstone,  Calcareous  Spar,  Iron  Pyrites, 
Pyritous  Copper,  Carbonate  of  Lime  in  veins,  Stibbite,  Preh- 
nite,  Datholite,  Thomsonite,  Mesotype,  Iridescent  Datholite, 
Rhombic  crystals  of  Carbonate  Lime,  with  faces  resembling 


76  CATALOGUE  OF  MINERALS. 

Lenticular  spar,  Laumonite,  a  dyke  of  Green  Trap.  Iron 
Pyrites  of  a  silvery  hue,  and  Copper  Pyrites  of  a  golden  hue, 
a  mineral  called  Cleavelandite. 

In  the  Sandstone,  at  Block  House  Point,  Hudson  River,  Kaolin. 
— At  Schuyler's  Mine  Calc.  Spar,  Pyritous  Copper,  Blue  and 
Green  Carbonate  of  Copper,  Micaceous  Oxide  of  Iron,  &c. 


LIST  OF  MINERALS  FOUND  IN  SECTION,  PLATE  III. 

This  cross  section  contains  many  of  the  minerals  before  men- 
tioned in  the  Palisades  and  New  York  Island,  the  minerals 
peculiar  to  Long  Island  are  round  white  Quartz  pebbles, 
Limpid  Quartz  pebbles,  Quartz  pebbles  coloured  yellow  with 
Oxide  of  Iron  ;  some  few  handsome  Agates,  Chalcedony  and 
Jasper  pebbles  have  been  found  associated  with  the  Quartz 
pebbles. 

A  large  bed  of  fine  Potter's  Clay  is  at  Lloyd's  neck,  (Clarkson 
Crolius.) 

Eagle  Stone  or  nodular  argillaceous  Oxide  of  Iron,  at  Wil- 
liamsburgh. 

LIST  OF  MINERALS  IN  SECTION,  PLATE  IV. 

In  the  Serpentine  of  Staten  Island  are  found 
Quartz,  gray,  radiated  with  surface  terminations. 
"       black,         "  "  " 

"       green,         "  "  " 

"       smoky  small  detached  crystals. 

Pulverulent  Carbonate  of  Magnesia,  Silvery  Talc,  Earthy  Talc, 
Bronze  crystals  of  Marmolite,  Amianthus,  Asbestos,  Hematite, 
(brown,)  many  varieties,  Chromate  of  Iron,  Magnesite,  Pea 
Iron  Ore. 


CATALOGUE  OF  MINERALS.  77 

Fossils  in  the  Diluvium,  in  a  boulder  Delthyris,  Atrypa,  &c. 
In  the  Trap,  south  of  New  Brighton  is  found  Laumonite. 


LIST  OF  MINERALS  IN  SECTION,  PLATE  V. 

The  minerals  of  Donderberg  are  the  same  as  are  in  most  Prim- 
itive Mountains  with  the  exception  that  in  the  Transition 
Limestone  there  is  a  light  olive  green  Talc. 

LIST  OF  MINERALS  IN  SECTION,  PLATE  VI. 

On  the  Island  of  Rhode  Island  besides  the  minerals  mentioned 
are  Black  Serpentine,  Talc  in  Talcose  Slate,  at  Fort  Adams, 
small  veins  of  Carbonate  Iron,  a  peculiar  kind  of  Staurotide  in 
Argillaceous  Graywacke,  Asbestos,  &c.,  in  the  Anthracite  is 
Graphite,  &c.,  <fec. 

SECTION  OF  NIAGARA  FALLS,  PLATE  VII. 

'Geodiferous  Lime  Rock,  Swinestone,  Calc.  Spar,  Snow  white 
Gypsum,  Selenite,  Anhydrous  Gypsum,  Yellow  Blende,  Ga- 
lena, Dog-tooth  Spar,  Bitter  Spar,  Lenticular  Spar,  Sulphate 
of  Strontian,  Iron  Pyrites. 


GEOLOGICAL  TABLES. 


| 

* 


EXPLANATIONS  OF  THE  ABBREVIATIONS  IN  THE 
TABULAR  COLUMNS. 


B.  Professor  Buckland. 

C.  "         Conrad. 


AUTHORS. 


F.  Professor  Featherstonhaugh . 
L.          «        Lyell. 


Br.      British  Isles. 
Con.    Connecticut. 
Eng.    England. 
Eu.      Europe. 
Fr.      France. 
F.  W.  Fresh  Water. 
Ger.    Germany. 
Ire.      Ireland. 
Ky.      Kentucky. 

L.  C.       Lower  Canada. 
Mam.      Mammalia. 
Mass.     Massachusetts. 
Mar.       Marine. 
Me.         Maine. 
N.  Am.  North  America. 
N.  Eng.  New  England. 
N.  H.      New  Hampshire. 
N.  J.       New  Jersey. 

Oh.     Ohio. 
Penn.  Pennsylvania. 
Rep.    Reptiles. 
R.  I.    Rhode  Island. 
St.  I.  Staten  Island. 
Scot.   Scotland. 
S.Am.  South  America. 
Ten.  Tennessee. 
Vt.      Vermont. 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  TABULAR  COLUMN. 
Pages  81,  83,  85  &  87. 

The  next  first  four  pages  of  Table  I,  form  one  column  and  is  in  an  as- 
cending series,  beginning  at  the  bottom  of  page  87,  No.  1,  Granite,  (which 
was  considered  the  lowest  rock,  by  the  older  Geologists,)  then  going  up 
the  series  and  back  to  page  81  to  the  Diluvium,  No.  53,  which  represents 
the  top,  the  four  pages  taking  in  all  the  series  and  formations  ;  but  it  will 
be  seen  on  page  85  there  are  numbers  from  la  to  7a  which  is  an  innova- 
tion, I  was  forced  to  make  to  bring  in  the  Silurian  Rocks,  for  until  lately 
these  rocks  were  called  Transition  Limestone  and  Graywacke,  (which 
are  represented  by  19  and  20,  page  85,)  and  they  were  not  divided  into 
sections  until  Mr.  Murchison  undertook  the  task. 


81 


A  Geological  Column  of  Rocks,  compiled  from  Professor 

Buckland  and  G.  W.  Feat  her  stonhaugh. 

TABLE  I. 


No. 

Organic  Relics. 

NAMES  OF  SERIES. 

Material.               Locality. 

Thickness. 
Depth  in  Feet. 

53 
52 
.51 

3 

S50 
49 

48 

Mastodon, 
Megatherium, 
Megalonyx  and 
other  mam. 

Diluvium. 

A  wash  of  sand- 
clay,grav.,bould.  Over  the  whole 
&c.  without  the  of  the  earth, 
works  of  man. 

Land  arid 
F.  W.  Shells 
Larvee  of  phryga- 
nae. 

Upper  Fresh 
Water. 

Clay,  Sand. 

Auvergne  in 
France. 

122  B. 
60  F. 

Marine  Shells. 

Upper  Ma- 
rine. 

Clay,  Sand, 
Gypsum. 

England, 
New  York. 
Lower  Canada. 
Maine. 

36  B. 
160  F. 

Land  and  Fresh 

Water  Shells. 

Lower  Fresh 
Water. 

Clay,  Sand, 
Gypsum. 

England. 

63  B. 
170  F. 

Matn.  Rep.  Fish, 
Shells  andWood. 

London 
Clay. 

Clay. 

England. 

550  B. 
110  F. 

Marine  andFresh 
Water  Shells. 

Plastic  Clay. 

Pipe  Clay. 

England. 

1131  B. 

47 

Fish,  Shells, 
Echini, 
Zoophytes. 

Chalk. 

White  Chalk 
with  (lints. 

Europe. 

Upper  320  )   [3 
Lower  300  J  **• 

700  F. 

46 

Chalk  Marl. 

Chalk  with  clay. 

England. 

200  B. 
I  OOF. 

J45 

Fish,  Shells, 
Echini, 
Zoophytes. 

Upper  Green 
Sand. 

Clay  and  Sand. 

England. 

150  B. 

'  44 
43 

te 

4 

1) 

Gault. 

Fish,  Shells, 
Echini, 
Zoophytes. 

LowerGreen 
Sand. 

England, 
France, 
Germany, 
New  Jersey. 

150  L. 

Rep.  Fish,  Crus- 
tacea.  Marine 
and  F.W.  Shells, 
Plants  &  Wood. 

Weald  Clay. 

Clay  and  dirt 
beds,  calcareous 
slate. 

England. 

300  L. 

« 

M41 

1- 

[!! 

Hastings  or 
Iron  Sand. 

England. 
New  Jersey. 

500  B. 
200  L. 

Purbeck 
Limestone. 
11 

Clay. 

England. 

400  B. 

83 


Continuation  of  Column  No.  1. 
TABLE  I. 


}NO. 

Organic  Relics. 

NAMES  OF  SERIES. 

Material. 

Locality. 

Thickness.      £ 
Depth  in  Feet. 

39 
38 

37 

p 

J35 
J34 

3  I 

Saurians.  Fish. 
Ammonites. 

Portland 
Oolite. 

Lime. 

England. 

200  B. 

Nautim  corals,  Kimmeridge 

Apiocrinites.          CMflV 

Clay. 

England. 

600  B. 

cidaris           Superior 

Belemnites.          ;Oolite. 

Lime. 

England. 

40  B. 

Elytrurn  of  Co- 
leopterous  In- 
sects. 

Coral  Rag. 

Lime  and  Sand. 

England. 

30  B. 
100.          | 

Scales  of  Fish. 

Oxford  Clay. 

Clay. 

England. 

200  B. 

Cornbrash. 

Sandy  Lime. 

England. 

10  B. 

;J33 
> 

32 

Forest  Mar- 
ble. 

Lime. 

England. 

GOB. 

Bradford 
Clay. 

Clay. 

England. 

400  B. 

J31 

Great  Oolite. 

Lime. 

England. 

140  B. 

bo 

i 

Fuller's 
Earth. 

Clay. 

England. 

140  B.      | 

29 

Inferior 
Oolite. 

Lime. 
Sand. 

England. 

| 

L 

Reptiles,  Fish, 
and  Shells. 

Lias. 

Clay  and  Lime- 
stone. 

England, 
France. 

893  B. 

fi27 

-«  ? 

5$  — 

3J26 
U 

Gypseous 
redsandstone 

Sand,  Clay, 
Gypsum,  Salt. 

England, 
"Jermany, 
France. 

1000  B. 

Magnesian 
Limestone. 

England, 
Germany. 

300  B. 

85 


Continuation  of  Column  No  1. 
TABLE  I. 


jNo. 

Organic  Relics. 

NAMES  OF  SERIES. 

Material. 

Locality. 

Thickness.      j 
Depth  in  Feet.  ; 

'I25 

Exeter  Con- 
glomerate. 

England, 
France, 
Germany. 

,24 

i 

Coal  Mea- 
sures. 

Anthracite  and 
Bituminous  coal. 

Europe, 
Nortn  America. 

1000  F. 

S23 

Plants. 

Millstone 
Grit  &  shale. 

Europe, 
North  America. 

760  F. 

\\ 

>|22 

Shells. 
Zoophytes. 

Carb'iferous 
Limestone. 

Europe, 
North  America. 

850  F. 

21 

Fish. 

OldredSand- 
stone. 

Eng.,  Scot.,  N. 
York,  N.  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania, 
Connecticut. 

1500  F. 

J7a 

Trilobites, 
Graptolites, 
Shells  &  Corals 

Black  slate  or 
Black  shale. 

New  York. 

taa 

i 

" 

Corniferous 
Limestone. 

Hornstone. 
Lime. 

New  York. 
Ohio, 
Kentucky, 
Tennesse. 

5a 

« 

Upper  Fucoidal 
Sandstone. 

New  York, 
Tennesse. 

d 

ce    , 

3  4a 

« 

Hydraulic 
Limestone. 

Lime,  Clay,  &c. 

New  York, 

O  |  

!3a 

Fucoides  and 
other  Marine 
jlants. 

Lower  Fucoidal 
Sandstone. 

Sand  and  Oxide 
of  Iron. 

New  York. 

2a 

Trilobites, 
Marine  Shells. 

Mohawk 
Limestone. 

Lime. 

New  York, 
Tennesse. 

la 

Sandstone. 
Lingula  Ovata. 

Potsdam 
Sandstone. 

Sand  and  Lime. 

New  York. 

'» 

Vermiform  fos- 
sils resembling 
Annellides. 

Graywacke. 

Grits  and  Con- 
glomerate. 

Eng.,  Germany, 
Massachusetts, 
R.  I.,  N.  York, 
New  Jersey. 

600  F. 

J19 

c  ' 

Lowest  organic 
relics. 

Transition 
Limestone. 

Lime  and  Talc. 

England. 
Stony  Point, 
New  York. 

350  F. 

i18 

g 

All  the  rocks  be- 
lowthis  inclusive 
are  Crystaline. 

Alum  Slate., 

Pyrites  and  Na- 
tive Alum. 

British  Isles. 

50  F. 

"F 

Whetstone 
Slate. 

120  F. 

E 

Flinty  Slate. 

Irel'and. 

100  F. 

87 


Continuation  of  Column  No  1 . 
TABLE  I. 


lj  No. 

•  ( 

Organic  Remains 

NAMES  OF  SERIES. 

Minerals. 

Localities. 

Thickness. 
Depth  in  Feet. 

115 

it- 

Serpentine. 

Silex  and  Mag- 
nesia colored  by 
Iron  and  Chrome 

Sew  England, 
New  Jersey, 
New  York, 
Pennsylvania. 

150  F. 

fl4 

. 

Diallage. 

Silex  and  Mag-- 
nesia  with  Lime. 

New  York  Island 
Staten  Island. 

70  F. 

J13 

y  — 

Green  Stone 

Hornblende. 
Feldspar.Quartz. 

Scotland, 
Ireland, 
N.  Y.,  Conn., 
New  Jersey. 

100  F. 

R 

:12 

Green  Stone 
Slate. 

Hornblende  and 
Feldspar. 

New  York, 
New  Jersey, 
Connecticut. 

80  F. 

!:» 

j    ) 

Quartz  rock. 

^ 

Quartz  in  Grain 
with  Mica. 

British  Isles, 
N.  America, 
S.  America. 

OOF. 

[10 

Clay  Slate. 

Cornwall,  Eng- 
land. 

110  F. 

[ 
•    9 

Chlorite 
Slate. 

Silex  Magnesia 
and  Alurnine. 

New  York, 
Vermont, 
Pennsylvania. 

120  F. 

II8 

Talcose 
Slate. 

Argellite  with 
Talc. 

New  York, 
Rhode  Island, 
Virginia. 

J50F. 

[] 

Steachist. 

Soapstone. 

Vermont. 

150  F. 

6 

Hornblende. 

Hornblende. 

New  Hampshire. 
New  York. 

200  F. 

j  5 

Hornblende 
Slate. 

Hornblende  and 
Quartz. 

New  York  Island 

160  F. 

i 

S    4 

I 

Primitive 
Limestone. 

Marble  and  Do- 
lomite. 

New  York, 
Vermont, 
Massachusetts, 
Pennsylvania. 

450  F. 

-i      0 

i  3 

Mica  Slate. 

Mica  and  Quartz 

Wales, 
New  York, 
New  England. 

300  F. 

p 

Gneiss. 

Mica,  Quartz  and 
Feldspar. 

Europe, 
N.America. 
S.  America. 

400  F. 

F 

Granite. 

Mica,  Quartz, 
Feldspar. 

Europe, 
N.  America, 
S.  America. 

Depth  unknown 

111% 


EXPLANATION  OF  TABLE  II. 

Pages  89,  91,  93  &  95. 

This  table  is  in  a  descending  order.  The  recent  (No.  1)  which  I  have 
added,  is  the  uppermost  and  is  of  course  placed  at  the  top  of  the  table  — 
this  is  called  by  some  Alluvium. 

Mr.  Lyell  makes  only  two  divisions  in  the  older  or  Primitive  Rocks,  the 
stratified  and  the  unstratified,  but  Granite  is  considered  the  lowest,  see 
page  95. 


89 

A  Geological  Column  of  Rocks,  after  the  manner  of 

Mr.  C.  Lyell  •  with  additions  and  remarks. 

TABLE  II. 


1 

1 

Recent. 

1.  Hoboken  Meadows. 
2.  Gowannus      " 
3.  Rockaway  Beach. 

Man  and  his  cotemporaneous  animalsand  plants. 
Psammobia  fusca.—  Ostrea  borealis. 

'I 

• 

• 

2 

Newer  Pliocene. 

This  Newer  Pliocene  is  the  recent  of  Mr.  Lyell, 
and  contains  fossil  shells,  &c.,  with  relics  of 
the  works  of  man. 

> 

OJ 

< 

etaceous. 

3 

Older  Pliocene. 

1.  Red  Crag. 
2.  Coralline  Crag. 

Quartzose  Sand  and  Shells,  Fusus,  Murex, 
Cypraea,  Nassa,  Astarte.  Voluta  Magellanica. 

• 

5 

W 
i 

0 
i 

0> 

1 

4 

Miocene. 

Land  and  fresh  water  shells  —  cylindrical  cases 
of  the  Larvae  of  Phryganea,  coated  with 
minute  shells  —  at  Auvergne,  France,  and 
Italy.  This  series  is  wanting  in  England.  • 

i 

i 

5 

Eocene. 

1.  London  Clay. 

Contains  bones  of  Mammalia.  Turtles,  remains 
of  Sword  and  Saw  Fish,  marine  and  fresh 
water  shells. 

i 

, 

D. 

5 

6 

Chalk. 

1.  White  soft  chalk  with  flints. 
2.  White  hard  chalk  with  few  or 
no  flints. 
3.  Chalk  Marl. 

This  rock  as  Chalk,  is  not  known  on  the  West- 
ern Continent  •  but  is  abundant  in  Europe, 
particularly  in  England,  and  is  characterized 
by  the  remains  of  Zoophytes.  Shells,  Shark's 
Teeth,  palates  of  other  Fish,  Echini,  <fec., 
&c. 

SECONDARY. 

Cretaceous 

7 

Green  Sand. 

1.  Upper  Green  Sand. 
2.  Gault  or  Blue  Marl. 
3.  Lower  Greeu  Sand. 
4.  Iron  Sand. 
5.  with  occasional  Limestone. 

There  is  in  New  Jersey  at  Mount  Mitchill, 
Neversink  Hills,  and  running  south  into  the 
State  of  Virginia,  abed  underlaying  aferru- 
gineous  sand  called  Marl,  which  appears  to 
be  by  its  organic  remains  an  equivalent  to 
the  Green  Sand  of  Europe—  it  contains  ver- 
tebra) of  the  Whale,  Shark's  Teeth,  Coprol- 
ites,  Teeth  of  Monitors,  and  many  fossil 
shells,  &c. 

1 

S* 

5 
& 
— 

8 

Wealden. 

1.  Weald  Clay. 
2.  Hasting's  Sand. 
3.  Purbeck  Beds. 

This  contains  what  is  called  the  Dirt  Beds,  and 
is  remarkable  for  its  fresh  water  and  land 
fossils,  its  forests  of  stumps  and  trunks  of 
trees  —  it  contains  the  remains  of  Mammalia, 
Birds,  Reptiles,  Fish  and  Fresh  Water  Crus- 
tacea, (Cypris.) 

12 


91 

Continuation  of  Column  No.  2. 
TABLE  II. 


, 

, 

9 

Upper  Oolite. 

1.  Portland  Stone. 

?his  group  contains  eleven  or  more  series  of  ! 
strata,  and  is  characterized  by  its  Ammonites 
some  of  which  are  said  to  be  as  large  as  a 

2.  Kimmeridge  Clay. 

coach-wheel,  while  others  are  of  the  size  of 

J 

, 

a  sixpence  ;  it  does  not  cover  a  large  area, 

but  has  many  fossils,  such  as  Reptilia,  (some  \ 

of  which  have  been  found  eighteen  or  more 

• 

• 

10 

Middle  Oolite. 

feet  in  length,  Icthyosaurus,  Plesiosaurus, 
Arnblyrhynchus,  &c.)    Bones  of  many  kinds  j 

' 

• 

1.  Coral  Rag. 
2.  Oxford  Clay. 

of  Fish,  as  the  Chimera,  Insects,  Zoophytes,  > 
Radiata,  Conchifera,  Mollusca. 

d, 

1 

1 

p 
O 

0 

11 

Lower  Oolite. 

,3 

1.  Cornbrash. 

• 

^3 

2.  Forest  Marble. 

• 

0 

3.  Great  Oolite. 

4.  Fuller's  Earth. 

• 

. 

5.  Inferior  Oolite. 

• 

• 

12 

Lias. 

1.  Blue  Lias. 

This  section  does  not  differ  much  from  the  rest 
of  the  Oolite,  but  in  not  containing  the  Oolite 
mineral  called  Roestone,  and  being  the  low- 

jcrf 

2.  Striped  " 
3.  White   " 

est  of  the  group. 

H 

|Q 

I 

- 

C- 

1 

13 

Up.  Red  Sandstone. 

The  fossils  in  this  group  consist  of  Swamp 
plants,  Ammonites,  Shells  of  the  Posidono-  \ 

/. 

9 

1.  Keuper  Sandstone. 

mya,    Productus    and  Spirifer,   Fish  of  the 

c 

2.  Muschel-kalk  Limestone. 

Genus  Pal;eoniscus  of  Agassiz,  Crinoidea  or 

1 

3.  Bunter  Sandstein. 

Stone  Lillies,  &c.,  &c.,  with  large  foot  marks 

i 

T3 

supposed  to  be  of  a  gigantic  Batrachian. 

ri 

<-/} 

1 

^3 

£ 

14 

Low.  Red  Sandstone. 

( 

* 

OJ 

1.  Magnesian  Lime  Stone. 

£ 

' 

O 
w 

a 

15 

Coal  Measures. 

This  is  characterized  by  its  numerous  species 
of  Swamp  Plants,  such  as  Ferns,  Sagillariae,  \ 

1 

2 

1.  Coal. 

Calarnites,Lepidodendron,  &c.,  which  appear  ' 

D 

2.  Millstone  Grit. 

to  have  grown  in  a  warmer  climate  than  the  ; 

'2 

3.  Mountain  or  Carboniferous 

coal  is  now  found  in—  there  are  also  found  a 

1 

J 

Limestone. 

few  fresh  water  and  marine  shells,  teeth  of 

ctf 

fish  of  the  Sauroid  family  of  Agassiz. 

• 

0 

' 

' 

d 

16 

Old  Red  Sandstone. 

This  rock  is  characterized  by  several  species  | 
of  cartilaginous    fish  with    bony  coverings, 

92 

1.  Quartzose  Conglomerate. 

somewhat  like  the  genus  Loricaria  of  Lin, 

<    i 

^ 

2.  Cornstone  and  Marl. 

it  contains  also  shells,  &c. 

| 

3.  Tilestone. 

L, 

q 

„  

': 

Old  Red  Sandstone  Group. 


i   * 


93 


Continuation  of  Column  No.  2. 
TABLE  II. 


' 

c 

0 

••3 

17 

Upper  Silurian. 

si 

1.  Upper  Ludlow, 

£ 

(micaceous  gray  sandstone.) 

1 

o 

2.  Aymestry  Limestone, 

**. 

(argillaceous  limestone.) 

^ 

3.   Lower    Ludlow    Shale    with 

t 

o 

concretions  of  Limestone. 

ri 

I 

0 

2 

„ 

tf 

S 

en 

o 

1.  Wenlock  Limestone, 

— 

(concretionary  limestone.) 

1 

W 

1 

2.  Wenlock  Shale, 
(argillaceous  shale.) 

These  rocks  are  what  the  older  Geologists 
termed  Transition  and  Graywacke,  they  con- 

£? 

tain  numerous  marine  fossil  shells,  plants, 

»—  i 

^ 

Zoophytes,  and  Crustacea,  (Trilobites,)  but 

J 
§"* 

•*" 

no  remains  of  the  higher  order  of  animals 

have  as  yet  been  found.  The  Lingula  Ovata  \ 

G 

O 

of   Conrad  appears  to  be   the  oldest  fossil  } 

known. 

^ 

13 

18 

Lower  Silurian. 

33 

o 

1.  Caradoc  Sandstone,  Flags  and 

— 

Shelly  Limestone. 

^< 

0 

2.  Sandstone  thickly  bedded. 

2 

o 

I 

3.  White  Freestone. 

eo 

0 

, 

1 

Q 

19 

Llandelo  Flags. 

3 

1.  Dark  colored  Calcareous  Flags 

§ 

ALL  FOSSILS  END  HEKK. 


00 

i 

•"; 

ffl 

* 

20 

Volcanic  Rocks. 

These  are  termed  unconformable 
rocks  and  consist  of  ; 
1  .  Volcanic  Ashes  and  Scoria. 
2.  Tuff. 

i 

These  rocks  have  many  varieties  of  form  and  j 
are  generally  vertical,  (the  Palisades  of  the 
Hudson  River  is  one  example,)  they  contain  , 
many  minerais  imbedded.    Being  thrown  up  ' 
by  volcanic  action  they  are  found  in  all  situ- 
ations, sometimes  above  and  sometimes  be-  ; 

J*? 

3.  Pumice  Stone. 

low  any  of  the  others. 

Sj 

* 

4.  Lava. 

0 

5.  Trap  and  Greenstone. 

fc 

6.  Basalt  and  Dykes. 

£ 

• 

7.  Sienite. 

p 

8.  Trachyte. 

t    . 

• 

9.  Porphyry. 

t 

g 

1 

10.  Amygdaloid. 

21 


22 


95 

Continuation  of  Column  JVo,  2. 
TABLE  II. 


1.  Argellite. 

2.  Talrose  Slate. 

3.  Chlorite    " 

4.  Mica          " 

5.  Gneiss. 


Stratified  Primitive  Rocks  next  above  the  oldest 
,     and  containing  the  same  veins  and  minerals 
as  the  oldest. 


Plutonic  Rocks. 

1.  Primitive  Limestone. 

2.  Serpentine. 

3.  Diallage. 

4.  Steachist  or  Soapstone. 

5.  Hornblende. 

6.  Seinite. 

7.  Protogine. 

8.  Granite. 


Lowest  and  oldest  primitive  Crystalline  Rocks, 
contains  viens  with  crystals,  veins  of  ores, 
dykes  and  crystals  of  minerals  disseminated 
through  them,  and  are  wholly  crystalline. 


EXPLANATION  OF  TABLE  III. 

Page  97. 

Is  a  Column  of  the  Silurian  Rocks,  in  a  descending  series  ;  the  Rocks 
are  divided  by  their  fossils. 


97 


A  Column  of  the  SILURIAN  ROCKS  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  from  E.  Conrad's  Report  of  1841. 

TABLE  III. 


1st  or  Upper  Series. 

Oneonta  Group, 
Cazenovia  Group, 
Tully  Limestone, 
Sherburne  Group, 
Shales  near  Apulia, 

Black  Slate, 
J 

Known  Fossils.                     > 

Crustacea, 
of  Trilobites,     5  species. 
Testacea, 
Bivalves, 
of  Avicula,         3     " 
of  Nuculites,      5     ' 
of-Cypricardia,  10     " 
Univalves, 
of  Bellerophon,  1     " 
Radiaria, 
Euryale  Annulatum,  (De  Kay,) 
Polyparia,                                     none. 
Marine  Plants,  (none  mentioned.) 

2nd  or  Middle  Series. 

Onondaga  Limestone, 
Corniferous       " 
Grit  Slate,  (of  Eaton,) 
Fucoidal  Sandstone, 
Oriskany  Sandstone, 
Crinoidal  Sandstone, 

Known  Fossils. 

Crustacea, 
Trilobites,                15  species. 

Crinoidea, 

Testacea, 
Bivalves, 
Strophomena,             6    " 
Delthyris  or  Spirifer,  5    " 
Atrypa,                        5    " 
Pentamerus,                1    " 
Univalves, 
.....               14    " 

Pentamerus  Galeatus  Limestone, 
Hydraulic  Limestone, 
Gypseous  Shale, 
Rochester  Shale, 

Radiaria,                                          none. 
Echinodermata, 
-----              1  species. 
Polyparia, 
Coralline,                  10    " 

Marine  Plants, 
Fucoides,  Caudagalli  1    " 

3d  or  Lower  Series. 

Pentamerus  OblongusLimestone, 
Iron  Ore  and  Green  Slate, 
Red  Sandstone, 
Salmon  River  Shales, 
Trenton  Limestone, 
Breccia, 

Known  Fossils. 

Crustacea, 
Trilobites,  9  species. 
Testacea, 
Bivalves, 
Strophomena,  7 
Orthis,             4 
Pentamerus,  1 
Univalves, 
Bellerophon,   2 
Trachus,         1 
Phragmolites,  1 
Cyrtolites,       1 
Radiaria, 
•    1    " 

Calciferous  Sandstone, 
Potsdam  Sandstone, 

Crinoidea, 

Polyparia, 
Coralline,       4    " 
Marine  Plants, 
3    " 
Fuciodes  Demissus. 
Harlani. 
Dictuolites  Beckii. 

13 


EXPLANATION  OF  TABLE  IV. 
Pages  99  &  101. 

Are  the  same  rocks  as  Table  III,  (divided  and  described  by  others  of  the 
New  York  State  Geologists,)  in  a  descending  series  from  1  to  13  ;  on  the 
top  of  which  are  two  groups,  viz.,  the  Coal  Measures  and  Old  Red  Sand- 
stone or  Catskill  Group  ;  then  at  the  bottom  are  placed  the  Volcanic,  the 
Primitive  Slaty  or  Striated,  and  the  Primitive  Crystalline,  with  the 
Granite,  &c.  at  its  base. 


99 


A  Column  of  the  SILURIAN  ROCKS  of  the  State  of  New  York,  with  the  Old 
Red  Sandstone  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Coal  Measures 
of  Pennsylvania  above  them  (in  a  descending  series,}  as  reported  by  Pro- 
fessor Emmons  and  Messrs.  Hall  fy  Vanuxem,  in  their  Geological  Re- 
ports of  1840,  with  additions,  tyc.,  <fyc. 

TABLE  IV. 


Coal  Measures, 

Coal, 
Conglomerate, 

Localities. 
Pennsylvania. 

Catskill   GrOUp,                                                             Catskiu  Mountains,  N.Y. 
Old  Red  Sandstone,                          Blossburgh,  Pennsylvania. 
(  Montrose  Sandstone  or  Sandstone  ) 
|         of  Oneonta.                               j 

1st  of  the  Silurian  Series. 
Chemung  Group, 

Sherbume  Flagstone, 
Black  Shale, 

2nd  Ithica  Group, 

3d  Portage  Group, 

Portage  Sandstone, 
Garden  Flagstone, 
Cashaqua  Slate, 
Geriesee  Slate, 
Tully  Limestone, 
Moscow  Shale. 
< 

4th  Hamilton  Group, 

Seneca  Co.,  Waterloo,  Avon. 

Caudio-ali-Grit        

Clarksville,  Albany  Co. 

..  .Black  Rock,  Erie  Co.,  Helderberg. 

.  -Phelps  Ont  co  ,  Oriskany,Orieidaco. 

Helderberg  Mts    Catskill  Mts. 

Skeneateles  Shale,,  .    

•  ...  Seneca  Falls. 

5th  Water  Lime  Group, 

(  Magnesian  Striations,  ; 

Monroe  Co. 

(  (Lignilites  of  Eaton,)  j 

•"Helderberg  Mts. 

6th  Onondaga  Salt  Group. 

7th  Niagara  Group, 

Limestone  and  Shale. 

101 

Continuation  of  Column  No.  4. 

TABLE  IV. 
8th  Clinton  or  Protean  Group, 

Limestone  and  Green  Shale Rochester,  Lockport. 

Pentamerus  Oblongus  Limestone,. Rochester. 

Oolitic  Iron  Ore, " 

Green  Shale, " 


9th  Shawanjunk  Group, 

Oneida  Conglo 
JEsopus  Millstone. 


Oneida  Conglomerate, Oneida  Lake. 

ills 


10th  Hudson  River  Group, 


Medina  Sandstone, Medina. 

Salmon  River  Sandstone, Turin. 

Pulaski  Shales,... 

Frankfort  Slate, 

Hudson  River  Slate, Coeymans,  Norman's  Kill. 

Fragmentary  Limestone, Opposite  Albany. 


llth  Black  River  Group, 

Black  Slate  or  Shale, Albany,  Cahoes  Falls,  Turin. 

Utica  Slate, 

Trenton  Limestone, Trenton  Falls. 

Bird's-Eye  Limestone, 

Trenton  Slate, Turin,  Trenton  Falls. 


12th  Champlain  Group, 


Mohawk  Limestone,  ............  ™S    as'  Louis' 


FucpidbS  Layers,  .............  — 

Calciferous  Sand.rock  ..........  ...Noses  on  Mohawk  R.,  Middleville. 


13th  Potsdam  Sandstone,  Potsdara>  Keesviiie. 


Volcanic  Rocks, 

1  At  Northfield,State  nlsland.  At  and 

Trap  or  Greenstone, |  from  Bergen  Hill,  New  Jersey,  to 

Basalt, )-Harvestraw  on  the  Hudson  River, 

Sienite, at  Paterson,  N.  J.,  New  Haven,  Ct., 

J  Subterranean  Wall,  N.  Car. 


Primitive  Slaty  Rocks, 

~j  Island  of  New  York,  Westchester, 
I  Putnam  and  Rockland  Counties, 
V  Highlands  in  Orange  Co,  Trenton, 


°     c««*i  ................     N.Jersey,   Fair  Mount,  Philadel., 

Talcose  Mate,  ..................  J  most  Qf  t 


most  Qf  the  Ne  w  England  states. 


Primitive  Crystalline  Rocks, 

1  Underlays  Staten  Island  and  part 
of  Long  Island,  at  Hallet's  Cove, 
Island  of  New  York,  Highlands. 
N.  York,  and  in  all  the  New  Eng- 
J  land  States. 


9 
EXPLANATION  OF  TABLE  V. 

Pages  103,  105,  107,  109,  &  111. 

On  the  five  following  pages  I  have  given  a  synopsis  of  the  Rocks  of  North 
America  in  a  descending  order,  from  1  at  top  to  25  at  the  bottom.  It  will 
be  seen  that  at  the  top  I  have  noticed  many  of  the  antiques,  &c.,  of 
this  continent,  which  I  think  should  not  be  overlooked  as  they  are  inter- 
esting to  the  Geologist  as  well  as  to  the  Historian  and  Antiquarian. 

' 
I 


103 


A  Geological  Column  of  the  Rocks,  <fyc.,  of  North  America ;  showing  their 
different  formations  and  positions,  with  their  Localities ;  from  the  most 
recent  and  upper,  to  the  lowest  and  most  ancient ;  with  observations  on 
the  same,  by  Issachar  Cozzens,  Jr. 

TABLE  V. 


8 


Historic  Age. 

Man  and  his  cotemporaries,\vith  his  works  of  art 
and  science. 

Mounds 

Containing  human  bones,  fragments  of  rudely  made 
pottery,  utensils  and  ornaments  worked  from  sea 
shells  and  native  copper  ;  pieces  of  wood  and  char- 
coal, &c.,  &c.  ;  found  at  Cincinnati,  by  .T.  Dorfeu- 
ille.    In  Montgomery  Co.,  N.  York,  by  Mr.  Morris. 
At  Constantia,  L.  Oneida,  by  myself. 

Heaps  of  Oyster 

Shells, 

With  stone  axes,  rude  pottery,  arrow-heads,  Ac.,    \ 
&.c.    High  banks  on  the  Islands  of  New  York  and    < 
Long  Island,  and  at  Communipaw,  N.  J. 

In  Caves, 

Are  found  dried  human  bodies,  covered  with  robes 
made  of  Turkey's  feathers  and  grass  mats.    Bones 
of  the  Megalonyx  Jeffersonii.    Virginia  and  Ken- 
tucky. 

Salt  Marshes  and 

Sea  Beaches, 

Marine  shells,  Psammobia  fusca.  Ostrea  borealis, 
&c.,  &c.,  at  Hoboken,  New  Jersey  Indian  pipes. 
Sand,  gravel  and  shells  at  Rockaway. 

Peat  Swamps  and 

Lacustrine  Deposit. 

Bones  of  the  Mastodon  Giganteum,  fresh  water 
shells,  Planorbis,  Volvaria,  Physa,  and  Infusoria  at 
West  Point,  Orange  Co.,  N.  Y. 

Big-bone  Lick. 

Bones  of  the  Elephas  Primogenias,  Mastodon  Gi- 
ganteum, Megalonyx  Jeffersonii,  —  three  species  of 
Bos.    Stone  arrow-heads,  &c.,  &c.,  Kentucky. 
(Megatherium  Cuvieri,  found  at  Skiddaway  Is- 
land, Georgia.) 

Coral  Reefs. 

Conglomerate  of  shells  and  coral.    Florida,  Ba- 
hama Banks,  Bermudas. 

Diluvium. 

Boulders  or  Erratic  blocks,  sand,  gravel,  and  the 
wash  of  all  mountains  and  highlands.    Country 
east  of  the  Alleghanies,  Atlantic  coast  from  Maine 
to  Staten  Island. 

Present  Time. 


105 

Continuation  of  Column  No.  5. 
TABLE  V. 


r 


so 


11 


12 


13 


814 


15 


Pleistocene  of  Conrad, 


This  is  200  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

The    Marine  Shells,  are  Saxicava,    Sanguinolaria, 

Modiola. 

In  the  Valley  of  Lake  Champlain. 
Fifteen  feet  above  the  sea  are  the  Ostrea,  Virgin- 
iaita,  Venus   rnercenaria,   Pyrula  carica,  Anomia, 
Astarte. 

In  Maryland,  Virginia  and  North  Carolina. 
100  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  are  found  Nucula 
Portlandica,  Mactra,  Mya. 
Barigor,  Maine. 


Post-Pliocene  of  Conrad, 


12  feet  above  the  sea,  Gnathadon  cuneatus. 

Neuse  Riv  ,  N.  Carolina,  Potomac  Hiver,  Maryland. 


Miocene  of  Conrad, 


100  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  17  per  cent,  of 
recent  shells,  the  rest  are  ancient,  but  none  of  this 
division  are  found  in  the  Eocene  below. 
Eastern  counties  of  N.  Carolina,  Virginia,  Maryland. 


Eocene  of  Conrad, 


200  feet,  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  An  equivalent 
to  the  "London  and  Pans  Basins, "no  recent  species. 
Clairbourne,  Alabama  ;  Natchez,  Miss.  ;  Wishita 
River,  La.  ;  Fort  Washington,  Piscataway  and  Up- 
per Marlborough,  and  in  Maryland. 


Chalk. 


This  rock  is  wanting  in  North  America.  There 
is  in  the  Lyceum  of  Natural  History  of  New  York, 
a  gigantic  shark's  tooth,  (Carcharias  Megalodon,) 

from   Cuba,  presented  by  Mr. ,  this  may 

belong  to  this  series  ? 


Green  Sand  or  Jersey  Marl. 


This  series  contains  the  teeth  and  bones  of  Sau- 
rians,  Sharks,  &c.,  viz.,  Mososaurus,  Geosaurus 
Mii.chelii,  Sphyraena,  Larnna  phcata,  lanceolata, 
Mantelli,  and  acuneata.  Shells  :  Gryphcra,  Exogyra, 
Terebratuia  Sa\ii,  Pecten  <ininque-costatus. 
Mt.  Mitchill,Neversink  Hills,N.  J. 


Wealden. 


This  series  is  not  found  in  North  America. 


Fresh  Water. 


14 


107 


Continuation  of  Column  TVo,  5, 


TABLE  V. 


16 


17 


18 


19 


Oolite. 


• 


This  rock  has  not  as  yet  been  found  in  North 
America,  but  Mr.  Lea  has  described  some  fossils 
from  New  Grenada  in  South  America,  as  belong- 
ing to  the  series. 

The  Oolite  of  Cumberland  Mountains,  described 
by  Dr.  Troost,  1  think  is  the  same  as  the  Roe  Stone, 
which  is  very  abundant  in  the  upper  part  of  Sussex 
County,  New  Jersey,  and  at  Saratoga  in  the  State 
of  New  York,  and  belongs  to  the  rocks  of  the  Si- 
lurian series.  Mr.  T.  \V.  Storrow  brought  from 
Illinois,  a  specimen  of  Roe  Stone  which  is  very  dif- 
ferent from  those  brought  from  the  abo^e-mention- 
ed  localities.  This  may  prove  to  be  a  true  Oolite. 


Lias  or  Jura  Formation. 


None  in  North  America. 


^Esopus  Millstone, 


(Potomac  Marble,  of  Rogers.)  This  is  a  coarse 
conglomerate,  with  a  calcareous  cement  ;  it  com- 
mences at  Shawanjunk  Mountains,  New  York 
State,  running  through  Sussex  Co.  in  New  Jersey, 
and  ending  on  the  Potomar,  where  it  is  called 
"Potomac  Marble."  The  nearest  locality  to  the 
City  of  New  York  is  at  Ramapo  River,  near 
Pompton,  New  Jersey.  See  plate  8. 


Upper  Red  Sandstone. 


This  Sandstone  is  very  abundant  in  the  Western 
States,  overlaying  the  Bituminous  Coal. 

At  Cumberland  Mountains,  Little  Rock  Castle 
Creek,  Kentucky,  and  in  many  other  places  it  con- 
tains fossil  vegetables,  such  as  Palms,  Ferns,  &c. 


109 

Continuation  of  Column  No  5, 
TABLE  V. 


20 


22 


Coal  Measures, 


1st.  Bituminous  Coal,  abundant  at  Chesterfield, 
nea.r  Richmond  in  Virginia,  (resting  on  Granite,) 
the  upper  layer  of  which  contains  fossil  fish. 

The  Shales  of  Middletown,  Connecticut,  and  of 
Pornpton  and  Boontown,  N.  Jersey,  are  the  same, 
and  contain  the  same  fossil  fisli  as  the  above. 

In  the  Ohio  valley  is  the  largest  coal  field  in  the 
world,  this  coal  contains  more  Bitumen  than  com- 
mon. The  shales  which  accompany  it  abound 
with  impressions  of  plants,  such  as  Sagillaria,  Ca- 
lamites,  and  Lepidodendrons,  &c.,  &c.  At  Pictou, 
in  Nova  Scotia,  and  at  Newfoundland  are  also 
coal-fields. 

2.  Anthracite.     The   Black  Anthracite   Coal  of 
Pennsylvania,  is  the   largest  bed  of  this  variety  of 
coal  in  the  known  world.     The  principal  localities 
are  Susquehanna,  Lehigh,  Schuylkiil  and  Lacka- 
wanna. 

It  is  accompanied  by  shale  with  impressions  of 
plants,  and  rests  on  Argelute  and  roofing  slate. 

3.  The   Blue   Anthrax  ite   of  Portsmouth    Rhode 
Island,  is  accompanied  by  Quartz  and  Asbestos  and 
takes  its  color  from  Graphi'e  or  Plumbago.    The 
shales  are  accompanied   by  the  usual  fossil  plants, 
and  it  rests  upon  Gray  wacke  and  Talcose  Slate. 

4.  The  Worcester,   Mass.,  Anthracite  is  nearly 
the  same  as  the    Rhode  Island,  but  has  a  larger 
quantity  of  Graphite. 


Carboniferous  or  Mountain  Limestone. 


The  localities  of  this  series  are  in  the  valley  of 
the  Ohio,  on  the  road  near  the  Mount  Vernon 
Post  Office,  in  Kentucky,  are  ninny  fossil  Polypana, 
measuring  from  12  to  14  feet  in  diameter,  and  which 
project  from  the  rock  nearly  one  foot,  the  main 
rock  having  been  worn  from  around  them  by  time. 


Old  Red  Sandstone. 


West  side  of  the  Hudson  River,  underlying  the 
Palisades  and  other  parts  of  New  Jersey. 

Underlying  the  Trap  of  East  and  West  Rocks, 
New  Haven,  Connecticut. 

These  localities  contain  no  fossils,  but  at  Bloss- 
bur?h  in  Pennsylvania,  is  found  the  Holoptychus 
Nobillissimus. 


. 


Ill 


Continuation  of  Column  No.  5. 
TABLE  V. 


23 


24 


25 


Silurian  Rocks. 


1.  Upper  Silurian.    This  series  contains    more 
than  four  species  of  Trilobites,  one  Univalve,  and 
some  Radiata. 

2.  Middle   Silurian,  contains  more  than  fifteen 
species  of    Trilobites,  with  Eurypterus  remipes  ; 
ten  species  of  Polyparia,  one   Fucoides,  three  Cri- 
noidea,  more  than  seventeen  Bivalves,  and  fourteen 
Univalves. 

3.  Lower  Silurian,  contains  about    nine  Trilo- 
bites, three  Fucoides,  two  Polyparia,  one  Radiata, 
twelve   Bivalves,  five  Univalves.    This   series  is 
found   west   of  ttie   Alleghanies,   extending    from 
Canada,   through   New    York,   Pennsylvania,  and 
Ohio  to  Kentucky  ;  further  to  the  southwest  it  has 
not  yet  been  mentioned. 


Volcanic  Rocks, 


The  principal  localities  are  the  Palisades,  west 
side  of  the  Hudson  River,  New  Jersey  ;  Passaic 
Fails,  Patterson,  New  Jeispy  ;  East  and  West 
Rocks,  New  Haven,  Connecticut ;  The  Subterra- 
nean Wall,  North  Carolina. 


Metamorphic  Rocks. 


Eastern  States.     One  ridge  of  the  Alleghanies 
from  New  Hampshire  to  Alabama. 


Plutonic  Rocks. 


Localities  same  as  the  Metamorphic  Rocks. 


I 


• 


t 


LIST  OF  SUBSCRIBERS. 


Major  Joseph  Delafield, 

"     John  Leconte, 
Dr.  John  C.  Jay, 
Oliver  W.  Gibbs, 
S.  B.  Buckley, 
Geo.  A.  Farley, 
Chas.  M.  Wheatley, 
A.  R.  Thompson, 
Prof.  J.  Augustine  Smith, 
Wm.  Cooper, 
H.  W.  Field, 
Benj.  H.  Field, 
John  H.  Currie, 
Isaac  Green,  M.  D. 
Stacy  B.  Collins, 
Samuel  Thomson, 
John  Campbell, 
Wm.  Delafield, 
P.  H.  Reason, 
James  R.  Chilton,  M.  D. 
Prof.  J.  W.  Bailey, 
F.  S.  Cozzens, 
Baron  L.  Lederer,  (Austrian 

Consul,) 
Samuel  Piggot, 
J.  Edwards, 


Chas.  Olmstead, 
James  Hatfield, 
J.  P.  Giraud,  Jr. 

B.  W.  Budd,  M.  D. 
Joseph  Curtis, 

J.  M.  Bradhurst, 
H.  W.  Field,  Jr. 

C.  A.  Lee,  M.  D. 
F.  B.  Tower, 
Geo.  F.  H.  Youngs, 
Peter  A.  Jay, 
Sylvanus  Miller, 
John  Jay, 
George  Folsom, 

N.  B.  Wilbur, 
George  Gibbs, 
Wm.  Oland  Bourne, 
James  E.  Dekay,  M.  D. 
Prof.  J.  Draper, 
John  F.  Greene, 
George  Endicott, 
W.  Partridge, 
Wm.  B.  Cozzens, 
J.  B.  Cozzens, 
Prof.  John  Torrey, 
M.  R.  Zabriskie, 


- 


114 


LIST  OF  SUBSCRIBERS. 


J.  G.  Bell, 

Wm.  B.  Cozzens,  Jr. 
Dr.  Samuel  Akerly, 
Wm.  Moak, 
Henry  Schoolcraft, 
Thomas  D.  Moore, 
Mrs.  L.  D.  Wright, 
Wm.  S.  Tompkins,  M.  D. 
J.  P.  Bliveu,  M.  D. 
Stephen  Wood,  M.  D. 
J.  W.  Francis,  M.  D. 
H.  H.  SchiefTelin, 
Christopher  Wolfe, 
Stewart  Brown, 
Edward  Backhouse, 
0.  W.  Morris, 
George  C.  Dekay, 
Wm.  E.  H.  Wilmerding, 
Hiram  Parker, 
Ahraham  M.  Cozzens, 
J.  W.  Bradshawe,  M.  D. 
Lewis  M.  Rutherford, 
Wm.  S.  Sears, 
John  J.  Andubon, 
J.  W.  Andubon, 
Edgar  S.  Van  Winkle, 
Charles  E.  Butler, 
Jonas  Booth, 
Caroline  Roe, 
Anson  Willis, 
John  J.  R.  Depuy, 


Edward  Blunt, 
Dr.  J.  Smyth  Rogers, 
Martyn  Paine,  M.  D. 
George  N.  Lawrence, 
Clarkson  Crolius, 
Wm.  Lohman, 
Wm.  H.  Pease, 
Henry  W.  Bonnel, 
Chester  Driggs, 
S.  Q.  Hinsdale, 
John  S.  Green, 
John  H  add  an, 
John  Keals, 
Wm.  Jones, 
Abraham  Hatfield, 
Henry  Penney, 
Robert  Leggett, 
J.  H.  Cook, 
J.  R.  Lecount, 
Samuel  Griffith, 
Thomas  Sewell, 
J.  Tyson  Klots, 
Lambert  Suydam, 
Christopher  Prisley, 
N.  Norwich, 
A.  A.  Hunter, 
L.  C.  Beck,  M.  D,, 
Lawrence  Reid, 
Rev.  John  F.  Schroeder,  Flush- 
ing, L.  Island. 


New  York,  Feb.  7,  1843. 


14  DAY 


^^ififeSSww^ 


are  subject  to  i 


